China - Die Eisfischer vom Chagan-See (360° - GEO Reportage)

Mongolians have lived in northeastern China for over 1,000 years. On Lake Chagan in Jilin Province, they became fishermen – ice fishermen. From December to March, when it's bitterly cold, they venture out onto the frozen lake every morning and lower a two-kilometer-long net into the water. This ancient custom is now a lucrative business. Fish from Lake Chagan, still clean, fetch collector prices – up to 110,000 euros for a bighead carp! A film by J. Michael Schumacher © 2016, Licensed by MedienKontor / ARTE Subscribe to wocomoTRAVEL: https://goo.gl/tIk2Qc Follow us on Facebook:   / wocomo   Press release: Using tools their forefathers used and the pulling power of their sturdy horses, the ice fishermen unfold and move their enormous net beneath the ice of Lake Chagan. In this way, Zhang Wen and his men catch between 80 and 100 tons of fish per day. But climate change is increasingly affecting them. There are also generational conflicts, as the fishermen's sons have no desire to follow in their fathers' footsteps. The backbreaking job remains poorly paid, even though fish prices are skyrocketing. 360° - GEO Reportage was able to accompany the ice fishermen from Lake Chagan onto the ice. On the opening day of the ice fishing season, fisherman Qi Yashen and his colleagues set out shortly after 4 a.m. They traveled for hours in horse-drawn carriages across the more than one-meter-thick ice to a spot where their boss expected a good catch that day. "Youbatous" (captains) like Zhang Wen guarded their secret of where and when the best fishing grounds were in the vast Chagan Lake. It is one of the few remaining clean bodies of water in China and famous for its abundance of fish. To keep it that way, the ice fishermen ensure that the mesh of their nets is wide enough to ensure only large, adult fish are caught. Zhang Wen, his "deputy" Bing Hailong, and their men are particularly after the big carp. They are competing with three other teams today for the biggest catch. Up to 20,000 spectators will be there when the first and biggest fish are auctioned off to the highest bidder. Will Captain Zhang Wen's team be the best again?