喺廣東沿海嘅漁民長期被視作賤民，處於社會嘅最低層，更被蔑稱為「蜑民」，唔比上岸居住同參加科舉考試嘅權利。清朝道光年間，廣東水師每月向坪洲嘅漁民輪流徵用兩條漁船，假扮作為一般商船，用 嚟誘惑海盜搶劫。漁船係漁民嘅謀生工具同埋住處，雖然呢種「扮商誘盜」嘅策會按船上舵工水手人數而津貼口糧，但所發嘅口糧僅夠男丁食，而唔夠養活船上大小家眷。
Fishermen along the coast of Guangdong have long been regarded as untouchables, at the lowest level of society, and are even contemptuously referred to as "Lin Min", no more than the right to live ashore and take the imperial examinations. During the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, the Guangdong sailors took turns to requisition two fishing boats from the fishermen of Peng Chau every month, pretending to be ordinary merchant ships, and used them to lure pirates to rob. Fishing boats are the means of livelihood and accommodation of fishermen, and although this "loading and baiting" strategy subsidizes rations according to the number of shipwhelmers and sailors, the rations distributed are only enough for the men, not enough to feed the families on board.