Pai (पाई) or sometimes called Pahi (पाही) is a fish trap fabricated by using ''Thakal daantha'' (थाकलकॊ डाॅठ) and ''Beshram'' (बेश्रम)/''byaye'' (व्याय)/''ajambari'' (अजम्बरी) thoroughly knitting with rope to make large rectangular sheets suitable for the filtration of water and it is mainly famous in
Tharu, Kumal and
Majhi[http://www.pantribalconfederacy.com/majhi/introduction.php] communities of western Nepal. Knitted sheets of their desired length and width are fixed in river of sharp current with the help of strong and large wooden nails (''Kila''). This fish trap was very efficient and logical tool for the ancient indigenous peoples- making them to become successful in fishing.
This fish trap looks like Greek symbol
pi(Π). Indigenous people from near around villages of
banghushree Banghushree (), sometimes Banghusri (बनघुस्री) or Bankhorsi (बनखोर्सी), is a village located in Gadhawa Rural Municipality ward number 1 of Dang Deukhuri District, Nepal. It is one of the oldest villages of Deukhuri V ...
are still adopting this technique for fishing in
West Rapti River
West Rapti, also known as the Kuwano drains Rapti Zone in Mid-Western Region, Nepal, then Awadh and Purvanchal regions of Uttar Pradesh state, India before joining the Ghaghara—a major left bank tributary of the Ganges known as the Karnali i ...
.
Methods
The method using for this fish trap is
filtration
Filtration is a physical separation process that separates solid matter and fluid from a mixture using a ''filter medium'' that has a complex structure through which only the fluid can pass. Solid particles that cannot pass through the filter ...
where fishes are considered as suspended solids, rectangular knitted sheets acts as a filter, large wooden nails as a rigid support for entire system. This method for fishing is only applicable for rivers which are free from derbies and other suspended objects.
References
{{Reflist
Fish traps