JAPAN, Earth -- There exists a beautiful albeit contentious art, “Bird Fishing” invented in Japan thousands of years ago. Birdfishermen spend their younger years raising a long-necked bird called a Cormorant, or a similarly long-necked, big-brained bird. Over time, the bird learns to recognize the fisherman’s sounds, his smell, his appearance. Spending nearly every hour of the day together, from sleeping time to mealtime, to time canoeing alone up and down the rivers between the mountains, they form a sacred love and trust. They grew old and wise together.

When ready, the bird lowers its head, allowing its caretaker to place a rubber band around its neck. The band shrinks the diameter of the bird’s neck to half size. This is not torturous like it may sound. On the contrary, it is freeing, enabling, invigorating, because it makes a whole new form of fishing possible, one that is symbiotic to both caretaker and bird.

The caretaker paddles his canoe through rivers, deep into the mountains. Meanwhile, his bird perches upon the bow of the boat on the lookout for fish.

When it sees something, it caws.

The bird slides seamlessly into the water as the canoe slides seamlessly into the water. It is quiet, peaceful. The fisherman relaxes as the bird acts according to his nature. In a few minute's time, the bird returns with a plump flounder or a sculpin filling its throat, blocked by the necktie from sliding into the bird’s belly.

The bird opens its beak for the fisherman to remove the fish from its throat, subsequently placing it in his ice bucket. In exchange for the big catch, the bird gets a potpourri of smaller but tastier fish -- its favorite.

It is a perfect bond between the two, perfect symbiosis.

Some criticize the rubber band method, and I admit it is coarse. But, after seeing for myself the amazing relationship between bird and bird fisherman, I think that critics ought to reconsider.

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