Captain Duarte Rato sent in his info package and price list for this current Marlin season…
Bazaruto Marlin Season Packages
Category: Feature
The President
Lobster John was the name the tourists gave him 10 years ago, when I first met Joao in Tofo town. He was hawking a huge Dorado that he had caught on the rowboat that morning.
He was wobbling a bit as his penchant for 2M beer was already reasonably satisfied with the other fish he had sold in the market just before.
He obviously also sold crayfish and anything else he caught ,to the tourists.
Nowadays though, he seldom launches himself, but can be seen daily hauling the crews catches across the sand to the market. This arduous task is performed with stoic pride and does not betray his elevated status within the community here.
He is like the retired admiral around here.
So Joao and I have known each other a long time
But he never ceases to amaze me. This morning on my daily pilgrimage along the long beach between Barra and Tofo, I came across the inimitable Joao, with these two fish. Amazing!
These are two grown up Natal Stumpnose!
But there’s more…check out his hand line!
Anyway a few photos and a check on his impeccably tied and presented bait…and a chat during which Joao proudly claimed his title – The President of the Ocean!
.
Starting Small…
Starting Small…
Walking into Tofo town along the beach every day gives us a unique viewpoint of the fishermen that work these waters.
From the older rod and reel guys to the young spearfishermen – their catches are as diverse as their capture methods are.
These kids are stripping bark from an indigenous tree called by them – ‘Pwe Pwe’.
They then crush the very green coloured bark into a paste mixed with sand. Then as the tide goes out, and in certain conditions – they throw this stuff into the pools and gullies.
The result is devastating. Every little fish swimming the pools goes belly up and is harvested!
The resource seems to maintain. Possibly because this is only a feasible fishing methods at certain tides and in certain conditions.
At Tofo on the point, you can count upwards of 50 fishermen and women engaged in this ancient practise occasionally.
The inter-tidal zone these folk operate in seems rich in resource still, but the rapidly increasing population due to the impact of the tourist dollar in the surrounding area invites questions concerning the ongoing sustainability and the impact on vulnerable species.
Since ths practice is as ancient as any, and the resource has survived hundreds or even thousands of years subject to it, you would think it could continue. Only more time will tell.
At Pemba the reefs running south support hundreds of seafood harvesters.
The younger crews up there use mosquito nets chiefly in the estuaries and on the reefs. On the estuaries they use lengths of mosquito net to drag with and learn the dynamics of netting.
On the reefs at low tide, the net is placed in the middle of a small pool and opened. Little hands then force the net into the tiny refuge offering caves and ledges. By this time most, if not all the little fishies swim into the middle if the net. The net is lifted up taking with it the entire collection. Gobies, tropicals of amazing colour and design, shrimps…and all sorts.
These happy and peaceful people harvest each low tide and the fresh collections are brewed into delicious seafood soups each day.
With the poverty here so abstract, this form of protein is vital to their lives.
Pole and Line Fishing Foundation created
Foundation created to help pole-and-line fisheries
Fishing Information Service
Tuesday, April 03, 2012,
The not-for-profit International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF) was founded
to help pole-and-line fisheries increase the market share of their product
without compromising the sustainability of the fisheries. The group will
also offer support for fishing communities who are heavily reliant upon
these stocks.
Despite being considered the most sustainable method of catching tuna, most
pole-and-line fisheries are small-scale and find it difficult to get by in
an industry dominated by heavy industrial fishing. Fishers have seen their
local resources shrink and their livelihoods suffer in recent years.
IPNLF believes these fisheries can be rehabilitated and entire fishing
communities strengthened by increasing the market potential of their tuna
caught using the traditional pole-and-line method and a minor capital
investment.
“The global market demand for pole-and-line caught tuna is soaring as a
direct result of environmental organisations increasing consumer awareness
of sustainability issues,” Andrew Bassford, IPNLF co-founder, said.
“Unfortunately, many small fisheries often lack the knowledge and
infrastructure to gain access to the global market. Therefore, adequate
co-ordination of the market development of sustainable and equitable
pole-and-line tuna is not just an opportunity, it has now become a
necessity.
He said IPNLF will bridge the gap between demand and supply and all revenue
generated will directly go to research and capacity-building.
It wants to start with the Maldives and Indonesia – two extremely important
tuna producing regions — and has already opened a branch office in the
Maldives and another one will be opened in Indonesia in 2013. It will then
expand its work to Brazil, Ghana, Japan, Mexico, Mozambique, Philippines,
Senegal, India, the US, southern Europe and small island states in the
Pacific.
The Foundation expects the demand for pole-and-line tuna will continue to
develop and mainly come from the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, France,
Switzerland, Austria, Nordic countries and increasingly Australia, New
Zealand, Japan and North America.
Brands and retailers supporting IPNLF and pole-and-line fishing will be able
to better manage their brand security and development by gaining access to
these sustainable tuna resources. IPNLF will help these commercial
stakeholders work together with these regions and fishing communities on
establishing a product that meets consumer requirements.
“It’s a sad fact that our pole-and-line fishermen’s livelihoods are at risk
but the International Pole & Line Foundation has identified ways in which we
can add value to our traditional catch,” Dr Shiham Adam, the Director
General of the Marine Research Centre in the Maldives and one of the
founding members of the IPNLF, said. “Having one of the Foundation’s offices
here in the Maldives has already given our fishermen and the industry a big
lift. There is a lot of work to be done but at last there is hope that
long-term viability of our traditional method of fishing can be achieved.”
By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
w foundation created to help pole-and-line fisheries
Fishing Information Service
Tuesday, April 03, 2012,
The not-for-profit International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF) was founded
to help pole-and-line fisheries increase the market share of their product
without compromising the sustainability of the fisheries. The group will
also offer support for fishing communities who are heavily reliant upon
these stocks.
Despite being considered the most sustainable method of catching tuna, most
pole-and-line fisheries are small-scale and find it difficult to get by in
an industry dominated by heavy industrial fishing. Fishers have seen their
local resources shrink and their livelihoods suffer in recent years.
IPNLF believes these fisheries can be rehabilitated and entire fishing
communities strengthened by increasing the market potential of their tuna
caught using the traditional pole-and-line method and a minor capital
investment.
“The global market demand for pole-and-line caught tuna is soaring as a
direct result of environmental organisations increasing consumer awareness
of sustainability issues,” Andrew Bassford, IPNLF co-founder, said.
“Unfortunately, many small fisheries often lack the knowledge and
infrastructure to gain access to the global market. Therefore, adequate
co-ordination of the market development of sustainable and equitable
pole-and-line tuna is not just an opportunity, it has now become a
necessity.
He said IPNLF will bridge the gap between demand and supply and all revenue
generated will directly go to research and capacity-building.
It wants to start with the Maldives and Indonesia – two extremely important
tuna producing regions — and has already opened a branch office in the
Maldives and another one will be opened in Indonesia in 2013. It will then
expand its work to Brazil, Ghana, Japan, Mexico, Mozambique, Philippines,
Senegal, India, the US, southern Europe and small island states in the
Pacific.
The Foundation expects the demand for pole-and-line tuna will continue to
develop and mainly come from the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, France,
Switzerland, Austria, Nordic countries and increasingly Australia, New
Zealand, Japan and North America.
Brands and retailers supporting IPNLF and pole-and-line fishing will be able
to better manage their brand security and development by gaining access to
these sustainable tuna resources. IPNLF will help these commercial
stakeholders work together with these regions and fishing communities on
establishing a product that meets consumer requirements.
“It’s a sad fact that our pole-and-line fishermen’s livelihoods are at risk
but the International Pole & Line Foundation has identified ways in which we
can add value to our traditional catch,” Dr Shiham Adam, the Director
General of the Marine Research Centre in the Maldives and one of the
founding members of the IPNLF, said. “Having one of the Foundation’s offices
here in the Maldives has already given our fishermen and the industry a big
lift. There is a lot of work to be done but at last there is hope that
long-term viability of our traditional method of fishing can be achieved.”
By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
Retro Surfing
Since cyclones seem to be dominating the skyline…taking up surfing seems like a great idea…