Time for another photo duel. This time let’s compare two of the many methods fishermen get the harvest from the sea. Both are being practiced since time in memorial.
Trawl Fishing or Sinsuro at Gubat Bay, Sorsogon
Some parts of the Philippines like Davao and CARAGA regions call it baling. A small outrigger banca goes to the deep portion of the sea then casts the tiny-holed net attached to a long rope then slowly dragged to the shore. The trawling takes about 3 hours from the sea to the shore. All that the net passed is harvested and divided among those who helped in pulling the catch- both big and small fishes and other crustaceans some too small to eat.
Sinsuro at Sorsogon
It looks great from a far seeing fishermen together dragging the nets to the shore. But this type of fishing is harmful to the marine creatures because even the small ones are part of the spoil.
Big Boat Fishing at Mayo Bay, Davao Oriental
A big boat goes out to the deep portion of the bay during the midnight and starts to place the large-holed net where the fishes are. After about 3 hours of waiting they will close the net below with the help of a solid metal then slowly drag the net to the boat until all the fishes show. These then are harvested by a smaller net. After the fishing session, the harvest is divided among everyone and some are given to smaller boats that are gathered around the bid boat.
Boat Fishing at Davao Oriental
This method is more taxing compared to baling but they catch larger and more fish. Everyone on the boat have specific roles too which I want to write on the next blog post – Fisherman for a night at Mayo Bay.
Both of these methods shows one of Filipinos heritage- the “bayanihan” which is quickly becoming unfamiliar with the new generation.
Have you experienced fishing like any of these?
I’ve never experienced this type of fishing and the manner the bounty is shared.Iba talaga ang Pinoy with their spirit of bayanihan and generosity.
yes bosing, lalo na yung sinsuro or baling in other parts of the country. kaya lang destructive sya sa ecosystem. siguro okay lang before when people dont do this everyday bec konti plang ang demand. ngayon araw-araw and maliliit na isda na ang nakukuha
I’m an old Second Mate licensee, and later became electrical engineer (now 74 and retired). I knew this method of fishing, and like you “journeyingJames”, I will definitely not recommend this kind of fishing. I was only 5-year old when I started eating “guno and singcag” fishes caught by “baling” in our small town in Quezon prov. It’s okay during war time (WW-II), but will catch smaller mother fish and finally those fishermen will be left to catching and eating seaweeds decades later. Trawl fishing is another destructive method of fishing to be outlawed.
i also realized that before its okay since there are only a few who do this, small population but doing this everyday is really not sustainable