Making a clean sweep of canal

Fishermen capturing fish on Wednesday in Paris' Canal Saint-Martin. But this was no ordinary fishing expedition.

The canal is being cleaned for the first time in 15 years and the catch of the day was not just of the swimming variety. The canal is drained and cleaned once every 10 to 15 years, and the odd items that are dredged up are a sight to behold for passers-by.

This year's haul is a bizarre collection of chairs, bikes, supermarket trolleys, street signs, wheelie suitcases and more.

The cleaning and maintenance operations of the Canal Saint-Martin will last three months and cost €95 million (S$148 million).

The fish will be returned to the canal when the work is done.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 08, 2016, with the headline Making a clean sweep of canal. Subscribe