[dogsbody70]

Cormorants, not herons. In Japan, from what i've read, you need special permission to fish using a cormorant, and the few who do (it's not exactly a thriving industry) rear their own birds and do it to maintain tradition. The bird has a flexible elastic band put on it's neck for the duration of the fishing, completely harmless and no worse than the rings we put on birds legs for tracking, which stop it from eating ~big~ fish. It can still eat small ones, and the birds aren't starved regardless. They get fed after the fishing is done. China I cannot vouch for, but really, if you're making a living off of selling tourist photos of the bird, you can't present one that is scabby and skinny.

thanks very much for that. columbine-- When I have seen films of cormorant fishing it is obviously extremely skilful-- I believe that tourists like to watch this at night.