THAT short piece I wrote about a week ago about the instilling of environmental consciousness at the grassroots level by at least one unit within the Gawad Kalinga network reminds me of another instance where a small fishing village learned how to preserve their fishing area. Since I am prone to more senior moments lately, I will just recall some of the salient points.
The fishing village was somewhere in Western Visayas, and had once been able to lay claim to very rich fishing grounds just nearby. Unfortunately, a predilection for shortcuts and easy money caused the fisherfolk to engage in two of the most despicable means of catching fish: dynamite blasting and cyanide poisoning. In both cases, the coral formations that attracted all aquatic forms of life were destroyed, and, in the case of cyanide poisoning, probably for all time. As a result, their fish catch dwindled till they reached starvation levels.
Finally, an outside party — either an NGO or a group of well-meaning people — intervened and showed them the fallacy of their short-term methods. They were able to locate an inlet which had the beginnings of aquatic life in it. They were taught to do the necessary things to promote the propagation of corals in the area, such as the sinking of old vehicles — properly sanitized of any environmentally disastrous components like batteries, etc. — which would provide a means for the lifeforms to cling to. In less than a year, the inlet became a thriving fishing ground, but with a difference. Now, the village members organized themselves to both guard their prized inlet and to ensure that no outsiders would blunder in to destroy what they had started.
A small lesson that tells us how little things like this can be replicated and propagated, especially by groups and corporations, foundations and NGOs.
July 18th, 2008 at 4:12 am
Great article, I hope efforts like this continue, there are so many parts of the world that need this, and the Phillipines is definitely one of them.
December 19th, 2007 at 12:51 am
I have read your “Little Things That Add up” article and am glad to hear “news” that are for once - brings out the positive rather than the negatives in our Filipino way of life. I am a recent retiree living in Vancouver Canada and have been to Mindanao for 2-1/2 months vacation. I too, visited a very small white-sand island in Ja-saan, Misamis Oriental, where a university called Xavier University in coordination with the local govt.- declared the island a “fish santuary” and planted 500 giant oysters to propagate. Again - like you mentioned - this activity should be pursued more with vigor not only by the residents but with institutions which can harness their resources better.
December 16th, 2007 at 2:08 am
My sister Marivic Pajaro did just that with the project seahorse in Bohol which won a prize recently. She worked so hard with a group of people to propagate a sustainable economy (based on harvesting the bounties of the ocean) while preserving the rich diversity of the fishing grounds sorrounding the village. She is currently finishing her PhD. at the University of British Columbia and will soon be back in the Philippines to again help our countrymen have a sustainable economic base without destroying the beautiful nature sorrounding the Philippine Islands.
December 15th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
its good to know that. Indeed little things done in little communities make a difference. A similar example can be found in Sitio Kibila, Guinsiliban, Camiguin. Community folks led by articulate women leaders have sustained efforts in giant clams conservation and marine preservation via marine sanctuary and mangrove reforestation.
They have also mobilized little children, which they call cute, and the youth for their weekly monitoring of the corals and the giant clams.