A tough, dangerous life

Ding Zhile | First person

Ding Zhile, head of Tanmen Fisheries Association

If you've never been a fisherman, it's difficult to comprehend just how hard their lives are. In the 1990s, when I was still fishing in the South China Sea, I worked on a 10-meter-long wooden boat. I was allocated just one bucket of fresh water per day during each two-month voyage. It was barely enough for drinking purposes, not to mention bathing, or even brushing your teeth.