Mariano Cornelio, a Tarascan fisherman/farmer, in his boat; August 31, 1959.
Fishing, with 4 full-time and 15 part-time fishermen, is the third most
important industry in Tzintzuntzan. All fishermen are Tarascans. . . . The standard chinchorro fishing party consists of four persons. Usually they are all men, though it is not uncommon to see one or two women helping. Fishing takes place any time from before dawn until dusk. Most of the work, however, is done in the morning because winds in the afternoon make navigation difficult, and at times dangerous. Fishing is done in shallow water, rarely more than 3 m. deep (1948).
Fishing has essentially disappeared; only one elderly man [Mariano Cornelio] still has his canoe and chinchorro net.
Because of overfishing, absolute production in the lake appears to be dropping, and the famed white fish, now a common delicacy on menus in fine Mexico City restaurants, has quintupled in price in recent years (1979).
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