Dynamite fishing in the Philippines
Out here in the province people use dynamite for fishing (it’s easier than traditional methods and yields more fish). It’s illegal but it happens all the time. It’s bad for the ocean and it destroys living reefs.
Yesterday it also destroyed a local Daanbantayan family. A father and son were fishing with dynamite just a few hundred feet from where I was sitting, and a blast went off above the water, making it much louder than normal. Everyone in the village immediately knew that there was a problem and came running. The son was screaming “Agay!” (loose translation: “Ouch!”) and calling for help. The accidental discharge killed the father and took one of the son’s eyes.
It turns out that Amy and I are friends with other members of that family. The day before the accident we bought an ice cream shake for a younger daughter of the man that was killed. It was her birthday and I think she just turned 16.
It’s hard to be judgmental about the blast fishing that goes on here because for the most part, the fishermen are just doing what they need to do to feed their families. At least once a year someone is killed by their own dynamite, so the fishermen know the risks involved. If they had an alternative I’m pretty sure they would take it.
August 2nd, 2008 at 3:21 pm
where exactly in daanbantayan u r residing?
August 2nd, 2008 at 4:36 pm
That’s a secret, sorry
If you are in DBT you should be able to ask around for a foreigner with my name and find him without too much trouble tho.