Piaski village in Poland, located by the Baltic sea. At the end of the road, just by the Russian border. In summer it’s full of tourists, with their plastic toys, smell of sun lotions and fried chips. Out of season it gets empty, back to the normal rhythm, like a hundred years ago. And it’s still the rhythm of the sea here.

Seagulls fly by a Polish fishing boat on the Baltic sea, waiting for their portion of fish remains

 

Fishing quotas in the Baltic Sea are now regulated by the European Commission. From time to time, they are source of some disputes between Poland, Denmark and Germany who all have large fishing fleets in the same area of the Baltic Sea. There are economic interests at stake here, and in Poland alone, more than 5000 people have their livelihood in the Baltic cod fishing industry.

Curious dog watches as fishermen push their boat into the sea, with help of a sea rescue squad pulling it by rope in a Zodiak boat.

Working in freezing winter temperatures, -7 degrees on the sea

Steering wheel of a fishing boat, accompanied by a modern set of GPS, CB radio and mobile phone

Retrieving fish from the net, in port on Wislany bay

Disused tyres scrapped on the banks of Wislany bay

Fishermen carrying a steel rope to connect the port crane with a boat. In this sea port boats are dragged by crane on and off the beach

Fisherman Wojtek Gbel watching a TV at his home while sons Grzesiek and Przemek play computer games

Daughter of a local fisherman playing in frozen paddle in a village

Feature is available from Piotr Malecki’s personal website or at Panos photo agency