w REEF fXSHXHQ FISHERY LEAFLET 354 FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE United States Department of the Interioi •«• United States Department of the Interior, Oscar L. Chapman, Secretary Fish and Wildlife Service, Albert M. Day, Director Fishery Leaflet 35^ Washington 25, D. C. December 1949 i BEEF FISKIiIG IN liffl PHILIPPllffiS By AgUBtin F. Umall, Ichthyologist and Herbert E. V/arfel, Aquatic Biologist Office of Foreign Activities, lish and Wildlife Service, Manila Contents Introduction 2 The Reefs of the Philippines 2 Cora-oarative Landings of Reef Species 3 Connercial Reef Species of Pish k Fishing Methods Employed 5 Explosives and Poisons 6 Diving and Spearing 6 Fish Pots 8 Lines 6 Reef Drag Seine 12 Drive-ln-ne t 12 Bohol Drive-in-ne t 12 Japanese Drive-in-net 14 Discussion 21 Reconuiiendations and Suggestions 22 Surainar^/ •• 28 Illustrations Fig. 1 — Spear gun • 7 Fig. 2 — A typical hubo (fish pot) 9 Fig, 3 — Multiple handline used in coral reef fishing 11 Fig. 4 — Perspective view of the reef drag seine (ligkop) in operation 13 Fig. 5 — Structural design of nmro-ami . a Japanese Drive- in-net l6 Fig. 6 — Perspective view of the muro-ami in operation .... 19 Fig. 7 — A set trammel net, diagrammatic (copied from Fish. Bull. (1931) No. 32, Division of Fish and &ame of California, Bu. Coram. Fish.) 25 Fig. 8 — Diagrammatic representation of the stages involved in entrapping fish in a trammel net. (Copied from Fish. Bull. (1931) No. 32, Division of Fish and Game California, Bu. Comm. Fish.) 26 Introduction A superficial glance at a chart of the waters of the Philippines will reveal the great extent of the coral reefs. These vast , rough groxinds have heen of great value to i'ilipinos in that there have "been derived from them fishes and other products that have contritruted significantly to the national economy since pre- historic times. Today this great resource is in jeopardy. Ill- advised fishing "by meeois of poisons and explosives has endangered the existence of these areas as producing units. If allowed to continue, such practices will probably exhaust them in the fore- seeable future. It is the purpose of this paper to s\jggest means by which these places can be exploited and at the same time con- served for the future of the nation. This leaflet was originally issiied in limited edition and distributed throiighout the Philippines by the Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation with the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and the IMited States Information Service. The Eeefs of the Philippine si/ Four kinds of reefs are found in the Philippines. The majority of them are along the outlying coasts of the individxial islands and fall under the category of fringing reefs. These rarely exceed three miles in width and generally e^ctend less than one mile from the shore. Barrier reefs occur rather sparingly in the Philippines. They are exemplified by the Bohol Barrier Eeef in the northwestern coast of Bohol and the Tawitawi Barrier Eeef in the Sulu Archipelago. Atolls are found mainly in the Sulu Archipelago and are small. The Sta. Ctut. Banks located in the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula, the Apo Eeef off southwest Mindoro, Peral Bank and Tumindao Atoll in the Sulu Archipelago are some of the important examples in the Philippines. A fourth type of coral reef known as a "shoal reef" is also common in the Islands. It is characterized by being a patch of reef below sea level at variable distances from the shore and surroundpd by water 20 to 40 fathoms in depth. This type is , in effect, a fringing reef of broad development on a shelf or submerged bank. Shelves such as the Polillo Shelf on the east side of Luzon, the Visayan Shelf between Panay and Mas bate, the Palawan Shelf surrounding Palawan Island, the Leyte-Samar Shelf east of Leyte, and the Sulu Shelf west of Mindanao contain such reefs and are out- standing examples. 1/ 1931 I'austino, L. A., Coral reef of the Philippine Islands. Philip. Jour, of Sci. 2 vol. kh 291-307. Comparative Voliomes of Pre- and PoBt-V.'ar Landings of Reef Species The Philippine reefs have long produced marine products of considerable value to the national economy. Chief among these pre the fishes which include some of tlie most highly prized foods available from local sovirces. Table 1 stiows the relative importance of certain coral reef species of fish. Figures are compiled from the returns of commercial fishing boats to the Bureau of fisheries. They repre- sent hauls of motor propelled fishing boats of more than three tons gross and, therefore, do not include catches of boats of lesser size nor those catches made for suiitenance (family use) fish- ing. It should be noted the the followiii^, i'lgures are inaccurate since it is generally recognized that for tnirposes of tax evasion fishermen tend to underestimate their returns. The data indicate thf.t over two and one half million kilograjcs of fish still remain to be cpught each year from Philippine reefs in order to approach nre-war production levels. It is emphasized that these figures do not include the miscellaneous marine products wnich are also often gathered from reefs. In 19^7 these miscellaneous items amo\anted to 1,''''9,560 kilograms and in 19^6 to 1,159, 30i^ kilograms and included shells, trepang, sponges, lobsters, and corals. Table I Catches of Coral Eeef Fishes in Philippine Waters Kinds 1947 Kilograms 19ij-6 Kilog:rams 19^ Kiloi^irams Caesios Groupers Porgies Snacpers Spadefish, Rudderfish, Runnel Surgeon fish , Total 1,010.583 251.501 259.^30 307,618 33.7^7 10,836 1.933,736 173.585 11^.369 95.270 103,524 188,830 675.578 3,3^.622 96,7^7 389.936 146,032 8,768 609.952 4,592,057 Common Conmerclal Reef Sirjecies of Pish The following is a list of the common commercial species of reef fishes which compose the talk of the fishery resources found in these places: aiiifc:li3h Name Moray B Plotosid catfish Gar Family Muraenidae Plotosidae Belonidae S-pecies Echidna spp. Gymno thorax spp. Paraplotosue alljilabris Tylos-urus spp. AMemies hians Tagalog Malal)ajio8 Kambabalo Soldier fish Cavalla Mountain hass Crrouper Catalnfa Snaptjer Holocentridae Carangidae Kuhlidae Serranidae Priacanthidae Lutianidae Holocentrus R-p'p. Myripristis murd.ian Baga-baga II II Talakitok 11 Caranx melampyiErus Caranx sexfasciatus Gnathanodon speciosus Garapeche Caranx stellatus Talakitok Caranx ignohilis " Seriola nigrofasciata H^^nnis momsa Momsa ( Kuhlia rupestris Lapu-lapu II ii' Bpinephelufi spp. Plectropomus spp, Cromileptis altiveles Lapulapong manotchot Anyperodon 1 euco grammi cus Siganid Teuthidae Priacanthus spp. Lutianas spp. Apr ion virescens Pristipomoides mi croc on Macolor macular is AT)har eus rutilans Teuthis spp. Lapu-lapu Maya- may a Bisugong laot II II Orae Bisugong laot Saimaral English Nnme Family Species Ta^aloe CaeeioB & grontB Pomadasidae Caesio caerulaureus Caesio chrysozonus Caesio lunaxis Dalagang bulcid II II II II Caesio cunin^ Pin.lalo typus Plectorhinchus spp. Scolopsis spp. II II II II Labi an Tagisang lawin Lethrinid Lethrinidae Lethrinus spp. Bitilya Porgies Spar i da e Mono taxis grandoculis Sparus berda Arsyrops spinifer Malaking raata Bakolcong moro Mahuwana Goatfishes Mullidae Upeneus spp. Paraupeneus spp. Mulloidichthys spp. Seo-amulyete II II Leaf-fishes Acanthuridae Acanthxirus spp. 5as9 spp. Labahita Wrasse Labridae Chaerodon spp. Lepidaplois mesothorax Cheilinus spp. Cheilio inermis Naming II II II Rudder fishes Kyphosidae Kyphbsus 1 embus Ilak- Parrot fishes Scarida-^ Scarus spp. Isdang lore Trigger fish Balistidae Balistes spp. Balistapus spp. Papakol II Filefishes Mo no cant hi dae Monocanthus chinensis Cantherines spp. Stepharxolepis spp. Pakol II II Pishing Methods Employed The' important methods of fishing used in the Philip-oines to catch coral reef fishes vary from the illegal methods of fishing v.lth explosivps and fish poison to the exr|:)ensive commercial muro-arai (Japanese drive-in-net). 1. Explosives and Poisons — Dynamite is tie most coiainon explosive used in fishing. Large siims of money have been involved in illegal transactions in explosives and in addition, loss of nuiuji life is often incurred in its use. Many persons have been apprehended by law enforcement agencies emd prosecuted for poirsuing this illegal venture. Before the last global war, when dynamite was very diffi- cult to obtain, various illegal methods of proeareioent were resorted to by these violators of the fishery laws. In dynamiting on a small scale, only a small dugout is used, and the catch is collected by diving and either scooping the fish with a small dip net or simply picking them up with the hand. Some of the larger operators use fast sailing bancas and the catch is collected by the use of scoop nets or other similar gear. Some types of gear used in this connection also serve the added purpose of camouflaging the illegal operation. In the wake of the last war the dynamiting of fish assumed very large proportions, dvie to the abundance of left-over stocks of the many kinds of explosives for warfare. Pish poisoning is the other illegal method of fishing employed on reefs. The common fish poisons are mostly of plant origin, although some of the criminally inclined use minerals such as arsenic and cyanide, chemicals not only harmful to fish but which also kill other animals including man. 2. Diving and Spearing — Not a small amount of the supply of ooral reef species are brought in by divers who spear the fish among the reefs. This is an especially common method used ty the fishermen from Bohol and the Moros, who are probably the best Filipino divers. These people literally live in the sea. i"tany of them can stay the whole day swimming ,, diving, and spearing fish to the extent that they even forego taking time out on land for their meals which they manage to eat while in the water. The gear used consists of two main parts - diving goggles and the spear gun, both home-mad«. (fig. 1). The pair of goggles, smaller in size than the factory-made swimming spectacles, have wooden frames, carved by hand, which hold pieces of ordinary cir- cular glass. A pair of framed glasses are joined to each other by a piece of rubber band adjusted to fit the ridge of the nose. The goggles are secured either by other pieces of rubber bends behind both ears, or are simply slipped over the head 1y a single piece of elastic. The spear gun has a wooden butt and barrel, the latter having a groove into which a well-tempered iron barbed blade or spear is slipped. The gun works on the principle of the bow and arrow. The energy is supplied by a stretched one-half-inch rubber band to which the bltint portion of the spear is fitted suad which is released by means of a triggerlike device. Before diving, the fisherman prepares his gear with the spear secured ready for action. When underwater, he aims the gun at the object of his search and by releasing the trigger lets go the STjeor with great accuracy. Some Jolo fishermen can take two big-sized cavallas with a single shot. I Figure 1 7 3. Fish Pots (Bubo) — Fish pots of various shapes, -sizes, and styles are used in many localities but especially aroirnd coral reefs. These are enticing; devices made in the form of rectan^'ular- ovoid receptacles, generally with a non-return valve designed for easy entrtnnce but difficult exit (fi^. 2). These contrivances are generally made of bamboo splints woven together or, more recently, of wire netting. In operation these traps are first baited v/ith strong smelling substances such as meat or entrails of fowls, or sometimes, it is reoorted, with an empty, clear glass bottle. They are then sunk in some suitable location by means of stone or rock v/eights. After a ueriod of some twenty-four hours or more they are hauled in by raking a hooklike, weighted device back and forth over the ground where they were set. The recovery of the gear is by trial and error aided by ajproTimate fixes to visible landmarks. These con- traptions are purposely left without buoys or markers in order to prevent their being stolen by poachers. Ift'hen employed in respect- able numbers, this method of fishing becomes a profitable commercial venture. k. Lines — Another method employed in catching coral reef fishes is the ordinary handline with single or multiple hooks. The specifications of this gear are many and varied, depending pri- marily ut)on the ideas and traditions of the fishermen in different regions of the Philippines. This gear also varies according to the si-^e and species being fished. A great many handliners operate at night and employ artificial light on tiie theory that the bait fishes attracted to the light serve to attract larger species which can then be readily captured. While most fishermen operate indi- vidually on a sort of subsistence fishing basis, many pursue this type of fishing as a business. Often an investor engfiges fishermen on a type of collective fishing; the investor supplying the gear and supplies, end. in turn, having a monopoly to buy the catch. When operating at night the fishermen usually put out from shore individually or in tiairs in a sailing canoe (banca) for the reef they intend to fish; timing their departure to enable them to arrive about sundown. At diaek the lights, generally one or two kerosene pressure lanterns of from 5OO to 2000 candlepower each, are lighted and the canoe allowed to drift. Each fisherman is equip-oed with a small dip net and the first animals attracted are usually a few small squids which are dipped uii for bait. The squids in turn are then affixed to a small hook on a light line and this arrangement is then put into operation and If.rger fish generally round scads and/or small mackerels are taken. This procedure continues until a dozen or so of ttoe latter are hooked and these fish ere used as bait for the species it is intended to take for market. Each bait fish is cut in half longitudinally and a bait consists of a half. The head, very often, is discarded. JsTjanese fishermen, operating in the Philip jines, also employed handlines before the war usually in waters as deep as 50 to 60 fs thorns. They fished from motor-propelled vessels with all hpnds aligned nlong the gunwale with one hjuidline e^-ch. 8 CM d to •H Their gear consisted of a gut mainline about 6-8 mm. in circumference, to the bottom end of which was hitched a small, loosely tied stone weight. At a distance of about one meter from the weighted end was attached a No. 2 snooded hook carrying a bait. The hook was very much bent, the point being directed inward to red\ice the distance between it and the shank to the minimum con- sistent with effectiveness. In actual operation the line was lowered and when the stone weight touched bottom it was jerked free from the line. With- out the weight, the line carrying the hook gradually floated upward and generally the fish were hooked at that stage. Before the outbreak of the Pacific War the Japanese drive- In-netters in the Philippines often supplemented the take of their muro-ami gear by using a multiple handline'for catching coral species. This gear was employed when they failed to find a sufficient con- centration of caesios and surgeon fishes, the two principal species sought by them, to warrant making a set. While scanning the reefs for schools of these fishes they often foiind attractive, large-sized food fishes such as snappers, porgies, lethrinids, etc. which they could catch by this type of handline. When a good-sized school of caesios, for exmnple, was found, the same fishermen took in their lines and began to pay out their more effective muro-ami gear. The multiple handline consisbed of a weighted cottom main- line to which was attached at regular intervals a series of wire spreaders. To each spreader there was attached in turn a snooded hook carrying a bait (fig. 3). '^tie mainline ordinarily consisted of 10/193 hardlaid cotton twine varying in length from 40 to 200 meters depending upon the dep,th to be fished. The wire spreaders were made of ordinary galvanized wire 3.2 mm. (1/8 in.) in diameter and they were attached to the mainline at intervals somewhat greater than one meter (generally foTor feet). The snoods or leaders were made of Diano or steel music wire and the hooks attached to them were generally size No. 2 with a much bent point and provided with a barb. The line was sunk by a stone which weighed about 2.5 kilogrfljns. To increase the efficiency of this gear, chumming (scatt- ering chopped fish bait) was also employed. According to reports it was sometimes customary to catch squids or other forms which were chopped very fine and placed in a light cottom bag. This bag of bait was then tied to the extreme end of the mainline so that the sinker v;as immediately above it. The ch\ira was then caused to spread by allowing the weight to repeatedly fall upon it. Catches as great as 800 kilograms of marketable fish per day have been re- ported being taken by two men from reefs 90 fathoms deep by this procedure. 2/ The ST)ecif ications of this gear contained in this paper sire only approximations based on memory, no actual written description having been ke-ot of the gear. 10 Figure 3 11 5. Reef Drag Seine (Ligkop) — This is a seiae (fig. 4) dragged over coral or rocky Itottoms with the floatline submerged "below the siirface of the sea. The net, which is of Manila (ahaka) twine with a mesh of 1 l/2 inches stretched, has a finished length of from 180 to 300 fathoms. The corkline is floated as usual with wooden floats while the gro\indline is weighted with either lead or stone sinkers. The free end of each wing is provided with a bamboo brail about one and a half fathoms long. In operation the net is payed out where a good-sized concentration of reef fishes has been located. The fish are sur- rotrnded and the net made to fish to bottom as deep as 10 fathoms by sinking the whole gear with the aid of 3 bamboo poles held by men on board 3 small bancas. The two wings axe then gradually pulled towards the shore by means of p\ill ropes and the whole gear hauled in the manner of an ordinary beach seine except that in this operation, the bottom line is continually under the surveillance of several divers who free or disentangle it from snags. 6. Drive-in-net (Bahan) — Another common method of coral reef fishing employed by the fishermen from Saimar is the bahan which is nothing more than an abbreviated drag-seine with or without a bag. The seine proper is of sinainay (abaka cloth) which is the portion that serves as the bunt or landing piece of the gear. A pair of coconut leaf scarelines, from which the term bahan is derived, serve as the wings. The seine proper has a finished length of 21 fathoms and a maximum depth of 3 fathoms , tapering toward the two ends to a depth of 1 fathom. The head and foot of the net are each hung to a l/2-inch abaka rope after providing them with a two-mesh selvage strip of 1 1/2 inches stretched. The entire length of the corkline is provided with wooden floats, while the groundline is weighted lead sinkers. On the free end of each wing is a bamboo brail about five feet. long. The scareline is a pair of 1 to 2-inch manila ropes about 100 fathoms in length to which coconut leaves are tied by the mid- ribs with rattan. The midribs are split to produce two separate units from one leaf. In operation the net is payed out somewhat seaward with the two wirgs toward the shore enclosing the school. The entire gear is then -nulled toward the shore, the winglike scareline serv- ing to drive the fish into the bunt where they are impounded. The fish are then brailed into the canoes. 7. Bohol Drive-in-net (Kayakas) — This is a type of Filipino drive-in-net commonly used by the Bohol fishermen in coral reef fishing in vaters ranging in depths from three feet to three 12 Pn fathoms. It consists of a rectangular net of sinamay or cotton netting with a finished length of 30 feet and a depth of l6 feet. It may te floated on the corkline "by means of baml)©© floats and simk toward the "bottom line by rock weights; or made up as a push- netlike affairs supported on two sides by bamboo frames that cross at the basal end forming a somewhat triangular baglike net. The operation is very similar to the bahan of the Samar fishermen. Hie fish are driven into the baglike net by means of a long scare- line of coconut leaves strung together with small bamboo floats at intervals. Prom 10 to l6 men and h bancas are employed in the operation. 8. Japanese Drive-in-net (Muro-ami) — Of the fishing gear employed before the war in the exploitation of the reef fishes in the Islands, the muro-ami ranked first in importance from the viewpoint of initial investment and success in operation. An outfit consisted of one large-sized, power-propelled mother boat and four smaller-sized fishing bancas. Ihe former loaded the catch and transported it to market, and the latter were the working or fishing boats proper. Table 2 is a list of the different muro-ami mother boats in act\aal operation in the Philip- pines in 1939. They were Japanese sampans used for carrying fish to market and to carry supplies and provisions for the fishermen on their ret\xrn trip from Manila or other marketing centers. These fishermen did not return regularly to their home ports. Rather they stayed in "stations on shore in the immediate vicinity of the operating grounds ready to begin fishing the moment the mother boat was in condition to take fresh fish into her holds. In their shore station the 15 to 25 fishermen lived in rented houses or in makeshift shelters when no hb\ises could be found. The four smaller bancas were open boats about 15 feet in length, 3 feet in width and 1 1/2 feet in depth. They served as the fishing boats on which the nets were loaded and which the fisher- man employed in the actual setting or laying out operations of the gear. These boats were either towed by the mother boat from the station to the fishing grotmd or were loaded on board in case the distance was too far and the sea too choppy or rough. The nniro-ami net was made of cotton, the stiMctural design of a typical one being shown in figure 5 and the corresponding s-oecif ications in Tables 3 aJid 4. A perspective view of the gear in operation is shown in figure 6, The floatline was composed of two ^ianila ropes; an outer 2 l/4-inch, right-laid rope and an inner 2-inch, left-laid rope. Attached to the ^-foot floatline of the bag were circular wooden floats 5 inches across the disk and 1/2 inch thick. These floats were seized very close to each other at the center but spaced farther apart at the outer portions to as far as k inches. On the wings similar floats were spaced at 6-inch intervals at the after end, and 12 inches apart at the fore end. 14 Table 2 List of M\iro-Ami Boats in Operation in 1939 Name of Vessel Engine H.P. Gross Tonnage Net Tonnage Armado II 100 i+8.31 26.63 Cioyo 80 23.91 15.18 Cuyo No. I 80 ^.35 21.69 Guzman I 80 i+6.26 29.47 Guzman II 50 23.91 15.90 Guzman 7 120 40.63 19.58 Guzman IX 120 37.15 19.58 San Nicolas VII 120 32.28 20.11 Arbo 100 ^.73 23.33 Azucena I 70 38.76 20.93 San Diego I 100 34.47 21.84 San Diego II 60 21.29 16.46 Sam Ildefonso 80 1 26.84 15.07 Ambulong 80 37.87 18.27 Apo 130 34.12 18.87 Bel en II 120 37.13 19.26 15 64' i« S * z «> o ^ ■D H O *« 3) O $i U) ^ H m C m < 1 » a 1 X 1 « E i E' % C D D' c * b B B' M. A' ' 1 « F « G —I « H * 1 « J « K 1 4k 0) « 40' 0 10" FEET 20* r~i T 2 ■ z_ o_ -D O H C < sfmsj STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF MURO-AMi Figure 5 16 Table 3 SPECIFICATIONS Width Width ftrts Sym- Material of Mesh in inches Depth in Remarks bols Kind Twine # in Meshes Feet Fathoms A Cotton 20/15 1.25 50 44'6" The 800 meshes E n 20/15 1.25 100 55 (A-E & E'-A') at the C ir 20/15 1.25 50 66 head is hung to a D II 20/15 1.25 100 77'4" 64' corkline after E II 20/15 1.25 100 90 Joining same to sel- u E' II 20/15 1.25 100 90 vage (a). A & A' <0 D' II 20/15 1.25 100 77 '4" (66 '6" deei)) is laced (^ C II 20/15 1.25 50 66 to 17' lacing line & o B' 11 20/15 1.25 100 55 after joining same u A' II 20/15 1.25 50 44 '6" to salvage (b & b' ). < (^ F II 20/15 1.25 600 4 F-K (24' depp) is m t>fl 0 II 20/15 1.25 580 4 laced to 24' lacing ca H II 20/15 1.25 560 4 line after attaching m I II 20/15 1.25 540 4 selvage. J II 20/15 1.25 520 k- The 500 meshes at the K II 20/15 1.25 500 4 _foot (K) is h\mg to ~40' bottom line after <0 l»0 a Cotton ZQJZh 2.0 400 2 '6" joining same to ^ t II 20/24 2.0 30 41 selvage (a' ). rH a' II 20/2i+ 2.0 400 2 '6" v> b' II 20/24 2.0 30 41 M Cotton 20/24 2.5 200 13 The 2000 meshes at N II 20/24 2.5 200 13 the head and foot 0 II 20/24 2.5 200 10 M-V are hung to P II 20/24 2.5 200 10 46 fms. each of ^ q II 20/24 2.5 200 8 corkline and lead t R II 20/24 2.5 200 8 line with 1 mesh ^3 S II 20/24 2.5 200 8 selvage of twine No. (0 T II 20/24 2.5 200 8 20/30, yi stretched. Hi U II 20/24 2.5 200 8 The 8 fms. at tip of tt V II 20/24 2.5 200 8 V is laced to 5-fm. ^ marginal line. t-t M' Cotton 20/24 2.5 200 13 Hanging and lacing N' II 20/24 2.5 200 13 in right wing (M'-V) > 0' II 20 /24 2.5 200 10 similar to left v/ing. *# P' II 20/24 2.5 200 10 Q,-V & Q'-V may be Q' II 20/24 2.5 200 8 of No. 20/30 twine > E' II 20/24 2.5 200 8 with a nesh of 3" 4^ S' II 20/24 2.5 200 8 stretched. T' II 20/24 2.5 200 8 w U' II 20/24 2.5 200 8 v M 20/24 2.5 200 8 17 Tatle ^4- Bopes and their Attachments in the Construction of the Muro-ami t-i Attachments Material Circum- ference in inches Length in feet Numher of pieces — "tg— Remarks 1 o d •H r^ o Outer Manila rope 2-1/4 64 2 Eight-laid Inner Manila rope 2 64 2 Left-laid 1 Bottom line Outer Manila rope 3 40 1 Eight-laid Inner Maxiila rope 2-1/4 40 1 Left-laid b5 +> o Inner Manila rope 2-1/4 276 2 Eight-laid Outer Manila rope 2 276 2 Left-laid SH3 Bottom line Inner Majiila rope 3 276 2 Eight- laid Outer Manila rope 2-1/4 276 2 Left-laid The bottom line was likewise made of 2 Manila ropes; an outer 3-inch, right-laid and an inner 2 l/4-inch, left-laid ropes. To each end of the 40-foot tot torn line of the "bag was tied a 25- pound stone weight with no other leads or sinkers in hetween. To the "bottom line of the wings, 2-po\ind stone weights v;ere tied at 6- foot intervals. Accessories to the operetion of this gear were water tele- scopes for spotting submerged concentrations of fishes, water goggles and vertical scarelines or "pendants" used by each individvial swimmer in the act of driving the fish into the bag. These pendants consisted of a line of strung buri or coco-palm leaves, weighted at the bottom end and floated at the top end. The fishing operation consisted of locating a good-sized school of reef fishes, especially caesios, in waters of from 5 to 10 fathoms. This was done with the aid of a water telescope. lh.e direction of the current was noted, and the bag was payed out opposite its direction. In the meantime, from five to six fishermen 18 La i ^ •• ■•••.4 1 M ■• •■^^/ 3 ^ ■ 'f-^ i ■f L P4 jumped overboard to hold the mouth of the hag so as to allow the pressure of the water to spread it open to its full extent. The two 25-pound stone weights were then tied to each end of the bottom line at a distance of about W feet apart. Each of these stone weights was provided with a retrieving line, the free ends of which were held by a man in each of two bancas anchored at the opening of the bag. In laying out the bag under adverse fishing conditions such as lack of current or when it had to be payed out with the direction of the current, stone weights or anchors tied to the closed end of the bag were employed to keep it distended. When the bag was finally set, fishermen in two bancas, each carrying one wing, set out to a distance of about 46 fathoms from the bag e-nd about the same distance apart. The wings were payed out until the school of fish was impounded in the enclosure formed by the two wings of the bag. The length of wings payed out was governed by the topography of the ground, especially the nature of the coastline. One wing might be considerably shorter than the other as long as the fishes could be impounded with the aid of natural factors such as irregularities of the reef. With the bag and wings all set and the fish impounded, the fishermen boarded another set of two bancas and peddled for the open edge of the trap toward the tip of each wing.. Equipped with water goggles and a pendant (scarellne) they jTimped into the water and swimming in the form of an arc or semi-circle, they began to drive the fishes from this wide, open area towards the mouth of the bag by making as Jiaich commotion as possible by jerking their scarelines up and down. Sometimes they had to dive in order to prevent fish from escaping from the enclostire. When at a short distance of about 30 feet from the mouth of the bag, from foxir to six men boarded the two bancas previously anchored at this spot and hauled in the two stone weights attached to the bottom line of the bag. In the meantime, the rest continued to drive the fish into the bag. Once the bottom line was lifted to the surface the fishes were comt)letely impounded in the bag. All fishermen helped in the hauling, the work being done in between the two bancas. The catch was then brailed out into another banca by means of large dip nets, the latter banca taking the catch to tne mother ship anchored not far away. Here they were unloaded on deck for sorting and finally stored in the hold in alternate layers of crashed ice. Meanwnile, the rest of the fishermen busied themselves in hauling in the wings preparatory for another operation. In some instances the wings were used to drive the fishes into the bag by pulling them toward each other, thus obviating the work of swi:nming end driving them with the scarelines. ?0 Often times a haul could be made in less than oiie hoxir with a maximxun catch of 2,000 kilograms (two tons). With large catches per haul, some three to fo\ir hours fishirg would net a load sufficient for the mother ship to make a trip to market. The mother ships averaged two trips per month from the ground to the market with loads of from 30,000 to 36,000 pounds (15-18 tons) of fish. DlBCUBBlon As can "be ascertained from the foregoing description of methods, fishing on coral reefs presents some problems that are unique to the fishing industry. Chief among the considerations is the limitation imposed by the nature of such an environment - the rugged bottom terrain, plus the variable depths, both of which conspire to make reef exploitation hazardous to any type of gear. Yet in tropical countries where the productivity of the sea is limited, such areas often offer the only opportunity for fishing on a commercial scale; and in many places in the world, the only animal foods available for the people. Reef fishing among primitive people poses no problems as a rale, since the take is- small and the demand modest. Indeed, one of the so-called undesirable methods, the use of poisons, is a cievelorjment of people of elementary culture. But when the supxjly of food for a tropical nation has to be provided for, reefs and their management become matters of basic importance. Pishing by meeoiB of explosives has long been frowned upon all over the civilized world. The conception of the imdesirability of this type of effort stems from sports fishing, in all likelihood, and it is easy to see where, in the limited area of inland streams and lakes, such activity would be detrimental in the extreme. In the bays, estuaries, and coves of the sea it is also quite probable that continued use of heavy charges would, in time, seriously deplete, if not entirely denude such areas of their fish life. It seems reasonable that the use of explosives probably has three serious consequences. The first of these is its inordinate wastefulness. Fishermen generally agree that only a small proportion of the fish killed are ever recovered. There are no true estimates available but it is ofiten indicated that less than half of the marketable fish are ever shipped from the mass of fishes killed in a dynamiting operation. This is probably more true in reefs, where many fish are caught up in pockets and holes, than xn any other type of environment. Another possible effect that causes consternation is the killing of the yo\:ng and eggs of the resident species. It is doubtful if the fishes inhabiting a reef ever migrate far and it is very likely that many of them live through their entire life- history on a single reef. In such cases the almost complete elimi- nation of fish from a reef for many years is a distinct possibility. This could be compovinded easily with a third effect, viz. the 21 destruction of the reef as au environment for fish. The changes brought about in the structural characteristics of reefs hy sub- jecting them to repeated blasting must be of considerable proportions. Thus the wasteful iiat\ire of ex'olosives when used in reef fishing together with the effect on the young and the alternation of the environment are the chief objectives raised to this kind of exploitation and all of them seem reasonable and logical. There are certain other disadvantages and limitations that need, however, to be pointed out. Fundamentally it is possible that in a more nearly normal market than exists in the Philippines at present time such fishing could be very expensive due to the handling of each indi- vidual item. It is difficult to see how a fish that is dived for, picked up by hand, i^laced in a canoe, transferred to a mother ship, packed in ice and shipped to market could ever be sold at a reason- able price. Only the cheapest kind of labor could be used in such operfitions in ordinary times or localities. On the other hand there are advantages in that, at present, explosives are easy to obtain, are therefore cheap, and the capital investment is kept at a minimiim. There is no outlay for expensive, expendable nets and other gear. And finally the skills required are the most elementary imaginable. It is probably tnie that the prevalence of this type of fishing effort, more than any other factor, is hampering the develop- ment of the Philippine fishing industry. No ingenuity, no explora- tion, and very little legitimate capital is going into the industry at present. Also, the extent of the shallow reefs is such that they might support the volume of illegal effort now being employed for some years to come. Bat this much is certain, when the currently exploited reefs are depleted, 'as surely they will be in not too long a time, then other grounds and other methods will have to be utilized. The alternative methods here described have advantages that need to be emphasized. These have mostly to do with the conser- vation of the resource and the perpetuation of the reef as a producing unit. In the light of the foregoing discussion such arguments are obvious. Thus no fish killed need be wasted, no eggs or young need be destroyed, and the reef be kept intact to produce in perpetuity. It is said that net fishing can be overdone on a reef and intensive effort by such gear can result in overfishing. Such an effect is temporary, however, and in a year or so it is possible, by refraining from exploiting the same reef for that time, to come back to it and harvest it again. Ee commend at ions and iJuggestions The handline fisherman sitting in his banca over a reef either by day or night, is a familiar sight in the Philippines and he is the one who suffers most from the intensive exploitation of his fishing grounds by explosives. Still by his very good citizen- ship he is the man who needs to be encouraged. He is the unit of 22 the industry tht t will go on and on, producing moderately on the same grounds, supplying fish for the nation. There are many locali- ties vrhere sustained production by handline fishernien has been the economic mainstay of the coiamunity for many years. Coiimnmities established for this type of fishing, equipped with a moderfte-sized ice nlant and visited regularly by "buy boats" would be real contri- butions to the development of many, now Oc^rtially inhi^bited sLoreB places now, but occasionally, occupied by the camps of d^'naciters. Fishing with small traps or pots is also a venture to be recommended for continuous, sustained production. Iraps of the bubo types are found in many tropical waters and have been used on the same grotuads for years without seriously depleting the resource upon which they depend. The primary problem m the use of such gear in the Philippines is theft prevention so their extensive use demands continuous watch to patrol the sets. Other suggestions involve fishing the gear in "strings," that is having the traps tied to hauling lines which in txim are attached to a long "main" line. Units of 1? to 15 traps could then be kept under giiard and locating one trap would insure getting the others. Having a buoy on one end of the main line lying just under the surface in a well-fixed spot should not be too difficult to keep under observation. Such an arrangement should be kept out of the lanes of powered vessels, however, and to avoid entanglement and to facilitate hauling more than one trap at a time, the distance between traps should be a fathom or so greater than the depth at which the trap is placed. It is customary in some parts of the world to buoy similar trr.ps individually with submerged floats such as an empty, sealed beer bottle. To maintain such a patrol it is suggested that two sailing craft and bancas be employed as a unit. The operational plan would be somewhat as follows: One craft would proceed to the banks with the bubos, as many as 100 to I50, which they would bait and put out. This vessel and its bancas would stay with the "set" keeping watch for twenty-four hours. Near the end of the twenty-four hour period this craft would be joined by the second craft which would bring out fresh bait and would aid in lifting the traps and resetting them. The first craft v;ould then return to shore with the catch to be back at the end of the next twenty-four ho\ir period. In addition to other possible methods of reef fishing which can be tried by the fisherman there are, more than likely, iraciroveraents that can be made on the described methods. Two sug- gestions for improvements thit come to mind are a sort of a set, bottom longline which may be adapted to capture reef fishes. Also, in view of the difficulties and hazards encountered in the operation of the muro-ami in which swimming is needed in order to effect the im-ioundment of the fishes, a semi-mechanized method of drawing or pulling the scereline night be devised. The individual oendants carried by the fisheuen could, for instance, be tied to a floated mainline and the whole device dra'^m towards the bag from on board two boats employing either a powered wii\cn or a simiDle hand gurdy. 23 Another modern method of fishing which mi^ht prove practical in the coral reefs ic the trammel net. Ihe trial of this e;ear in Philippine waters is highly recommended. The following description of the gear and its operation may have to be modified to suit local conditions and is appended here merely as a guide end basis for the initial stages of its trial OTDeration: -2/ The vessel for this gear averages 35 feet in length, has a beam of 8 to 10 feet, and an average tonnage of from k to 3 net. Each is powered with a gasoline or small Diesel engine located amid- shit) below the deck. Sleeping accomodations for two or three men and' cooking anparatuB on deck, or in the small pilot house shcald be provided. A small skiff is carried on deck, \i8ually amidship beside the pilot house, '^he nets, buoys, anchors and lines are usually piled on the afterdeck. Trammel nets (fig. ?) are made by hangiiag three webs to a single ton and bottom lines. There are two outside vfebs or walls (this netting is called "walling" or "guard" mesh) &nd in inside web of small mesh. The outside webs are larger-sized mesh, generally three times the size of the mesh of the center net but usually eight inches square and made of cotton. The inside web, which hangs loosely in the middle between the walls, is of smaller mesh, the size depending upon the fish to be caught and is made of either cotton or linen. Ihe nets are so constructed that a fish striking either side passes through the larger mesh, hits the small-meshed net, through which it cannot pass, causing the loose, small-meshed net to go through one of the openings of the opposite outer webbing to form a sack in which the fish is entrapped. The weight and struggles of the fish cause the open end of the bag to rest against the twine of the wider guard mesh, closing the opening (fig. 8). Ihe -orinciple of this net is such that it mast be made with the inside web veiy full, so there will be enough webbing to nocket all the fish that come along. If the inside web is scant, as soon as a few fish are trapped, the inside netting all aroxind the pocket is stretched tight and no more fish can "pocket." It is, therefore, very essential that the inside web be very full, that is, it must be very much longer f:nd wider than the two outer meshes. The usual practice is to hang 2^ inches or even 30 inches of web on 12 inches of cork and leadline. An outfit carries from 10 to 50 pieces of trammel net. A niece varies in length from 35 to UO fathoms (210 to 2^ feet) ; and from 25 to 30 meshes deep, measured on the wall (outside) nets. Jj Fish Bulletin (1931) No. 32, po. 1^4-13, Division of Fish and Game of California, Bureau of Commerical Fisheries. 2i+ ^ Sur/ace Tt*'o 2oz. Jeac/s Sea //oi Figure 7 25 Figure 8