Shift dipnetting is a strictly organized form of dipnetting during a certain season of the year. The fishermen move from spring dipnetting to shift dipnetting when there is enough whitefish in the river. Over the last years the change has happened at the end of July or in the beginning of August. The everyday life of a traditional fisherman is guided by the timetable of the whitefish.
The local fishing association organizes the fishing practices in the villages where shift dipnetting is practiced. 24 hour shifts are handed out and there is a certain number of fishermen on duty simultaneously. The fishing right owners are responsible for providing a fisherman on a shift: either from the family or as a paid employee. The same association also arranges lamprey and burbot fishing in different seasons.
Fishing goes on 24 hours in a row for each shift, there are breaks only for a little rest and food.
The shift changes at 6 pm. That is when the catch from the last 24 hours is shared according to the ownerships between the farms. Whitefish sharing is a daily ceremony from the beginning of the shift dipnetting till mid-September.
