Since time immemorial, man has always been a genius in his survival. He uses every available technique to adapt and for existence. Fuvahmulah is the only one island atoll in the Maldives. From any point around the island’s beach, look at the horizon, you will not be able to visualize a nearby island or lagoon. The closest island is Addu atoll which is around 75 km away from us.
Fuvahmulah has a rich culture and tradition. Agriculture is the lifeblood of the island. And fishing is also vital for our livelihood. Exclusive and exciting methods of fishing dominate the culture of the island. This is a chronicle about how we catch lobsters. Catching lobsters with fire. We call it “hulhu bendhegen.” This is a method to catch lobsters at night, in utter darkness. The complete darkness should obscure the reef. There should be no sign of the moon. The lobstermen form groups of about five to ten. And they light fire on bundles of dry coconut palm leaves that are pressed and wrapped.
At low tide, the group goes to the beach and wades through the fore reef with these huge fire ‘balls.’ There will be around two or three thatches of fire ablaze. People in the group follow the bright light scattered by the fires. A huge area will be lit on the reef. They will be able to make out the shallow water. They catch them and put them into large sacks. They catch around 50 to 100 lobsters in a single night’s catch.
According to elderly people, locals have been carrying out this method for generations. The practice is believed to have been invented by the people of the island. This is a very effective method to catch lobsters as the effulgence produced by the bright fire balls cover a large area in the reef, allowing them to catch this delicious crustacean. We are inspired by this traditional method of catching lobsters because it is part of our local heritage.
This is a rewarding endeavor. They enjoy the sense of achievement when they catch lobsters and come back with a big catch. Choosing and finding a bait to attract lobsters are not easy. Glowing light has not proven to attract lobsters. This process of emitting light is to find them easily. And perhaps the bright light makes the lobsters ‘blind’, resulting in a ‘dead-end,’ allowing lobstermen to catch them.
Conceivably, light does not attract lobsters. A team of scientists led by the University of Exerter carried out a study on the effectiveness of light attracting lobsters. They used LED lights in the experiment. It revealed that light did not make a difference in the amount of lobster or crabs caught in the traps that they deployed (Fitzner, 2022).