September 26, 2016 — YUMINGZUI VILLAGE, China — On a moonless night, when there was nothing in the air except the smell of rotting seaweed and the songs of drunken fishermen, Wang Xinfeng sneaked onto a boat by the dock and sailed into the darkness.
Like his father and grandfather before him, Mr. Wang, 53, made a living combing the Yellow Sea for flounder, herring, fat greenling and yellow croaker. But now the government, hoping to limit environmental damage and encourage villagers to find new jobs, had banned fishing during the summer.
Mr. Wang, desperate to pay medical bills, had taken to venturing into the water at night to avoid detection.
“I was raised at sea — this is my home,” he said. “Even if it’s a rough life, I have to fish.”
For centuries, residents of Yumingzui, a village of 562 people in the eastern province of Shandong, enjoyed a quiet life by the ocean, harvesting enough fish, sea cucumbers and abalone to support a prosperous seafood trade. While nearby villages fell victim to tourism and development, Yumingzui persevered, clinging to ancient fishing rites and homes made of seaweed.