Fishes we eat, fishermen’s joy

Asians top the list to discover the joy of the villagers who light up candles to symbolize guidance for fishermen, to ride through the storms of life on seas waters and on land.

70 percent of the Earth’s surface is water-covered and water exists in everywhere and in you. Fishing boats, fishing nets and fishing ropes have decorated the Portuguese Settlement in Melaka and the whole village has become a living amphitheater today. The actors – the fishermen themselves. 

Though life of these fishermen was hard, they endured everyday hardship gladly and thank God, their catches generated incomes for the villagers.

The Stage

The sea-washed land of Portuguese Settlement, far on the western south of Peninsular Malaysia looks out over the world’s busiest shipping lane, the Straits with more than 80,000 transits each year.

On the bank of Tagus River near Lisbon, you can see structures adorned with marine devices and ropes that encircle the turrets.

Fish is an important item of food in rice-eating countries and Malaysia is one of them. Malayans are mostly fishermen and farmers and fish was the second staple of the Malay diet.

Today you see it, tomorrow you won’t. That is how the boats, nets, ropes and the fishermen making moves now and then from dark to daylight.

Enduring the coldness of the engulfing darkness from their boats which are swayed by waves followed by daylight absorption of the sun’s heat by about 3.5 percent of dissolved salt in seawater’s weight which dehydrated the fishermen, they are blessed to return to shores of the settlement every day. 

If your hectic lifestyle makes you forget about these fishermen, please do reflect where the fish on the plate comes from at the time you enjoy your meal.

This 28, 29 and 30 th of June 2019 you block your dates to discover and enjoy the 508 years old heritage Portugal has gifted Melaka. The villagers will observe The Feast of St. Peter.

Wish you be there

Note :

Best Hotel to stay :

The Settlement Hotel +606 292 1133

Temasek Hotel +606 288 3588

Angsana Hotel +606 282 3898


Second Best Hotel to stay :

Double Tree By Hilton +606 222 3333

Hatten Place +606 222 9696