In photos: A day in the life of a bustling Yangon fish market

Mornings are the busiest time at the Kyi Min Daing Fish market, the little center of industry on the banks of the Yangon River.

In the early hours, ships and little boats draw into the harbor to offload their cargo: fresh fish caught from neighboring regions, especially the fertile Irrawaddy Delta.

Laborers haul baskets of tuna, sardines and catfish off the vessels to be packaged for the businesses which ordered them.

The piles of fish are put on ice and packed onto container trucks to be driven to markets, supermarkets and shops around town.

After the vehicles head off, a hush descends on the market. Laborers eat and play football, enjoying the hours of solace before the ships arrive and Kyi Min Daing bursts into life again.

All photos by Aung Naing Soe / Coconuts Yangon

In the early morning, fish market laborers wait for the arrival of boats carrying fish.

Staff work together to unload one of the vessels.

Fresh fish lie in a bucket, bound for shops around the city.

A laborer carries a basket of fish on his shoulders.

Fish are piled onto carts.

The bustling center of the Kyi Min Daing Fish market.

A small restaurant inside the market.

A distributor talks on his cell phone.

A young boy catches small fish by the docks.

A laborer chats with his boss while he packs fish onto ice.

An ice seller pushes his cart around the market.

Fish are catagorized before being taken to shops.

Staff load the fish onto container trucks to be taken to stores.

Laborers rest after finishing work.

Downtime at the fish market often consists of football matches.