Fishing — Aerial footage of fishing around the world
Traditional and industrial fishing from the air — Norway, Chile, Mexico, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Egypt
Since prehistoric times, fishing has been one of the most universal of human activities. Seen from the air, it reveals a diversity of practices, vessels and coastal landscapes that bear witness both to human ingenuity and to the growing pressure that humanity exerts on marine resources. Our collection covers fishing in all its forms — from artisanal net fishing on the beaches of Bangladesh to industrial trawlers off Norway, through the ancestral techniques of the butterfly-net fishermen of Lake Janitzio in Mexico.
Fish consumption has risen steadily since the 1950s. According to the FAO, global production now exceeds 180 million tonnes per year. This pressure on marine resources has led to widespread overfishing — the first signs of overexploitation appeared as early as the 19th century with the near-disappearance of certain whale species, and the situation has only worsened since. Our images document this reality, between tradition and industry, between subsistence and commerce.
Norway — fish farming and trawlers — Norway is one of the world's leading fish exporters. Our footage covers two complementary aspects of the Norwegian industry : fish farms — those distinctive circular enclosures dotting the fjords — and trawlers at sea, filmed from helicopter in the grey waters of the North Atlantic.
Chile — sardine boats at Concepción — In the port of Concepción, in central Chile, our footage shows sardine fishing boats and their nets deployed in the bay — an intense fishing industry in one of the most productive fishing grounds of the South Pacific.
Bangladesh — nets on the beach at Chittagong — In Chittagong, artisanal fishermen spread their nets on the beaches in a daily ballet of colourful boats and drying fish — a millennia-old tradition that coexists, on the same beach, with the ship-breaking yards.
Haiti — sailing boat at Cité Soleil — In the bay of Port-au-Prince, a traditional sailing fishing boat passes in front of the deprived districts of Cité Soleil — a poetic and contrasted image that encapsulates in itself the paradoxes of Haiti.
Indonesia — seaweed farming in Bali — Off the coast of Bali, seaweed farms trace from the air a grid of ropes and coloured buoys in shallow turquoise waters — a traditional aquaculture activity growing rapidly across the Indonesian archipelago.
Indonesia — night unloading in coastal fishing ports — Alongside our Bali seaweed footage, our Indonesia collection includes sequences of a very different kind : the night unloading of large fishing boats in small ports along the Indonesian coast, filmed on the ground and by drone. Under the glare of floodlights and oil lamps, dozens of fishermen form human chains to unload their crates of fish in a frenetic activity that contrasts sharply with the silence of the night — images of rare atmosphere and visual intensity that make this one of the most singular sequences in our fishing collection.
Mexico — fishermen of Janitzio — On Lake Pátzcuaro, in the state of Michoacán, the traditional fishermen of the island of Janitzio still use their famous butterfly nets — an ancestral technique passed down through generations by the Purépecha communities, and one of the most iconic images of traditional Mexican fishing.
Egypt — shipyard and sailing boats near Rosetta — On the Nile, near the mouth at Rosetta, our footage shows colourful sailing boats and traditional wooden shipyards — a centuries-old river activity perpetuating boat-building techniques virtually unchanged for generations.
Algeria and Korea — fish farming — Our collection also includes footage of fish farms in Algeria and Korea, illustrating the worldwide development of aquaculture as a response to the overexploitation of wild marine resources.
Aerial footage of fishermen
