Thursday 21 March 2013


Can’t sleep … These two fishermen in Parang came back from Mambulao Bay about three hours ago after a long night of chasing fish in April 2012. But instead of hitting the sleeping mat (banig) for a much-needed rest, they remained up, tending to their fishing gear, which they will haul off back to the sea the following night. Meanwhile, their wives had taken off with their husbands’ catch – a total of 15kg or so – which they had shared equally, to peddle around the neighborhood of Parang. Fish is in demand despite their price going a bit higher these days, and it will sell in no time at all. This means it won’t be long when the fishwives would be home with lunch and dinner foodstuff they would buy from the wet market in poblacion. Over the years, their daily catch has decreased in volume, thus affecting their income. But their families still get by somehow and survive for another day.

 
Still a good business … This fisherman’s wife, whose family lives by the beach of Parang, is sorting out charcoal just delivered by a farmer from Tumbaga, a sitio in San Rafael, Mambulao, in April 2012. Charcoal has remained in demand as it is more affordable than kerosene and this has been another source of meager income for her, apart from the cash she makes from selling fish caught by her husband. A non-governmental organization (NGO) currently involved in a reforestation project in Larap learned from the local folks that charcoal-making has been the main cause of the destruction of the community mangrove forests. They said, there’s no other source of income for the local people except to chop down mangrove trees for firewood, which they sell at the community market for P250 a sack. Normally, to fill a sack, it would require chunks of charcoal from at least six young trees with trunks measuring at least 4 inches in diameter. – MWBuzzpics by ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

2 comments:

  1. Reasons why there's already a decline of fish catch its because of the trawl fishing even in a no fishing designated boundary area are violated by the trawl fisher. Municipal Penalty apprehension charge for this is only small and can easily be settled down by the owner of fish trawl. The effect of this rampant using of fish trawl all fish sizes would be caught and only a little percentage of school of fishes left to the small fisherman. second reason, The sea area of Mambulao is only small that could not accommodate yearly increasing numbers of fisherman. Several cases transpired when they put in their fishing nets nagkapatong patong na ito sa ilalim ng dagat dahil sa sabay sabay silang lumabas para mangisda. Third reason, illegal fishing that damage sea corals. There is no proof yet of mercury substance damaging mambulao bay in fact this mercury would be recovered after processing of gold.

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  2. Noted on the picture of a two fisherman conducting some repair on their motorized fishing boat, its obvious they are engaging in illegal fishing as there is a presence of oxygen tank and hose to be used in swimming into a deep sea locally called as (capandra) in Mambulao. Several death and paralyze accident had been happened this kind of deep sea fishing using gas mask or capandra. Mambulao concern municipal official as well as the police authority should do something about this.

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