A unique way to fish in Zhouzhuang

Feeding cormorants to catch fish is not considered odd in Zhouzhuang, Jiangzu province.

Also nicknamed shui lao ya in Chinese, the black bird has a cone-shaped, long beak with a little bag in the lower jaw.

The cormorant also has strong legs with webs between its toes that contribute a lot to its excellent swimming capabilities.

When they catch fish for people, they wear special necklaces made of hemp rope by fishermen to prevent them from swallowing big fish. But they can still eat small fish as an encouragement and reward, according to the fishermen.

The birds have been known to catch fish as large as 10 kilograms in weight, the fishermen said.