Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Fishery Bumper Harvest

“Brothers, on with the original plan!” Luke shouted at the top of his voice, and the shore instantly bustled with activity.

Ten fishing boats lined up with a clatter, the paddles churning up the water into a froth.

Then the fishermen sank giant seine nets into the river.

These nets had been meticulously improved; as soon as they sank into the water, they instantly tightened.

“Hold the formation! Don’t let the fish escape!” Reg, the old captain, had veins bulging on his arms with the tension of a bowstring in his hands.

Shadows darted chaotically underwater, surging like a tide.

“They’re in the net! They’re in the net!”

Someone shouted first, and the whole river seemed to explode in excitement.

Fat-headed river fish slammed against the nets, but the iron-clad formation of ten boats left them no escape route.

The fishermen deftly pulled on the ropes, trapping the fish securely.

The surface of the water erupted with countless splashes, fish leaping into the air, their silvery scales gleaming under the sunlight, looking very pleasing.

“Quick, pull! Don’t let the net slacken!”

“Haha, this is the most fish I’ve seen in my life!”

The fishermen braced their arms, working together to pull up the full load.

The seine net kept contracting, so heavy it even caused the boat to tilt slightly.

When the last net was finally raised, the boat was piled high with lively fish flopping about.

Each fish was much larger than typical river fish, glistening with an enticing sheen, their plump bodies constantly twisting.

This time, their harvest exceeded everyone’s expectations!

More than two thousand fish, enough to feed the entire Red Tide Territory for several days!

On the other side of the river, the net-casting fishermen were also giving it their all.

“Get the angle right when casting, or you’ll miss the shoal!” The seasoned old fisherman instructed his young apprentice.

The inexperienced young man took a deep breath, gripping the net steadily in his hands before throwing it with force.

The net drew a perfect arc in the air, enveloping a group of fish that hadn’t escaped yet.

“Got them!”

He excitedly tightened the rope, and the water surface immediately churned with large splashes, snaring several two-foot-long fat fish struggling mightily.

“This one is huge!” He excitedly lifted a fish as long as his arm, drawing envious glances from his companions.

“If we cook this one into soup, imagine how delicious it’d be!”

The group grinned widely, their hands working even faster.

Although their catch wasn’t as big as the seiners’, they successfully caught hundreds of fresh fish, each person’s wooden bucket packed to the brim.

On another section of the shoreline, the traditional fishing group composed of locals was engaged in another form of hunt.

Each held a polished fish spear, their eyes almost glued to the river.

“Here it comes!”

An experienced fisherman suddenly swung his arm, the spear piercing the water.

“Splash!”

Blood-tinged froth surfaced, and a three-pound fish was securely speared, struggling desperately but ultimately unable to escape fate.

In that short time, their buckets were already stacked with seven or eight big fish, tails flapping outside the bucket rims.

Meanwhile, further away on the shallow shores, some fishermen quietly placed fish traps in pre-set traps, waiting for fish to wander in.

“Wait a bit longer…a bit longer…”

Suddenly, a fisherman brightened up, quickly lifting the fish trap.

“Caught them! Over a dozen!”

They cheered excitedly, these fish weren’t large, but their tender meat made them the most popular delicacies.

The entire fishing operation lasted for several hours before the fishermen gradually put away their nets.

Every boat was piled high with fresh fish.

They slapped their scales and wagged their tails with a “slap-slap” sound, splashing water all around.

“More than three thousand fish! Over three thousand!”

When the final count came out, the entire dock erupted in excitement.

“Lord is indeed wise as God, he said there’d be fish, and indeed there were!”

“We’ve never seen such fishing methods before, catching so much in one go!”

“Lord not only knows how to govern the territory, but he’s also amazing at fishing!”

The fishermen clapped and celebrated, patting each other’s shoulders, joy reflected on their faces as they praised Louis.

Even those who doubted today’s catch were completely convinced by the facts.

Luke stood by, looking at the scene with indescribable amazement.

His initial anxiety had long been replaced by surprise.

He really hadn’t expected Louis’s predictions to be so accurate, even incredibly so.

He couldn’t help but look up at the Lord standing high on the dock.

Louis wore a faint smile on his face.

Seeing the satisfaction on the fishermen’s faces filled him with joy.

He knew that he had just taken the first step for Red Tide Territory to emerge from adversity.

The food crisis in Red Tide Territory could finally ease a bit.

And today’s catch was just the beginning; it marked the start of a long-term industry.

As a transmigrator, Louis certainly understood the importance of sustainability, so he devised a meticulous fishing strategy early on:

Firstly, to ensure the ongoing reproduction of fish stocks, Louis required all nets have larger mesh sizes.

This would allow immature fish to escape easily, continue growing, and wait for the next breeding season.

Moreover, fishing was only allowed at fixed times each day, with at least one day a week designated as a closed season to give the river and fish a breather.

Only by doing so would future catches remain abundant, instead of suddenly drying up one day.

Not only wild fishing, Louis also planned to establish dedicated breeding areas.

Selecting quality fish as broodstock to raise in designated waters.

This would make the fishery more stable, not completely reliant on nature’s rewards.

As Louis gazed at the mountain of fish on the dock, he wondered how to manage them.

No matter how much food there is, if not properly managed, it would just turn into waste.

How about hosting a celebration feast, Louis thought.

In just a few days, it would mark exactly a month since he arrived at Red Tide Territory.

A day worth commemorating.

In this month, Red Tide Territory had transformed from a barren land with scarce resources and low spirit.

Gradually restoring order, building fisheries, agriculture, and the lives of the people began to show hope.

Louis knew this wasn’t entirely his doing.

Therefore, this feast was not only to celebrate the bountiful catch, but also to honor those fishermen, craftsmen, and soldiers who contributed to Red Tide Territory.

However, the feast could only consume part of the fish, a large amount still needed proper handling.

Though it would only feed a thousand people for a few days, fishery was a long-term industry.

The caught fish couldn’t be wasted, they ultimately needed to be preserved, preparing for the food shortage of winter.

Louis suddenly thought of a method to preserve fish long-term, and he wanted to try it out.

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