Collectors die in Tonga, Vanuatu

[myerst2]

I think it's horrible that diver's dying. I have to admit that these divers know the risk involved in the work and probally get paid well for this difficult skill. Deep divers in these areas do it because it's probally the best way for them to make a good income. People die because all sorts of work related incidents. Fisherman who go crabing and other longshoreman die all the time because of their work. We don't boycott crabs. A diver could die in a foot of water if he steps on a venomous fish. It's sad to see any person die, but it comes with the territory. Tim

[auntynatal]

I think this is absolutely disgusting! these are people not commodities to be used and abused by the bourgoisie and tossed aside like nothing.

I am about to embark on a project in this area as this has lit a flame, and if anyone has any links to articles, or supporting evidence for this practise could they please pm me with details or links. Once armed with real information I too can help to support this and ask questions in the uk!

Heartfelt wishes to their families x

[cortez marine]

Tim,
North Sea crabbers know very well what they're in for and whereever you can Google up information, theres the world of info at your fingertips...not to mention the Discovery Channel, Nat'l Geographic, Dirty Jobs etc.

Many ie. most village divers don't have our armchair experience...they only know real life without the "cautions, conditions, warnings, labels" etc. that we live with daily.

Take whatever common sense you think we have and now filter out 90% of the educational material where it came from.

We have so many options for work in this country...we even had a hit song on country charts that said...Take this job and shove it!"
I dare say, thats a tough one to find counterpart for in the Manila Hit Parade.

Now....since real life experience is the main teacher of these guys, they just regarded a huge piece of information and may well let their contracts run out and even protest until it does.

We may even see some go on strike and test the response of the law they are laboring under and afraid of in the foreign countries they are imported to serve in.
You know that here they would sue the company for coercement and providing a dangerous workplace, no insurance etc..
Their biggest fear though is usually not working and getting paid.
Sacrificing themselves for their families is the really tragic part here.
Steve

[GreshamH]

Originally posted by myerst2
I think it's horrible that diver's dying. I have to admit that these divers know the risk involved in the work and probally get paid well for this difficult skill. Deep divers in these areas do it because it's probally the best way for them to make a good income. People die because all sorts of work related incidents. Fisherman who go crabing and other longshoreman die all the time because of their work. We don't boycott crabs. A diver could die in a foot of water if he steps on a venomous fish. It's sad to see any person die, but it comes with the territory. Tim

Yup, and the crabbers and longshormens families are duly compensated for the loss of life. Furthermore, the families have a law system built to help them in the case. Such is not true for 99% of MO divers world wide. They do not have access to first world legal systems. They have no real voice in government in most cases.

Some of these divers are held against their will. Exporters lure them in with promises they never deliver on and nab thier passports so they can't leave. Some places lock the workers in the export compound.

Only gringos don't look before they step. The locals know far better and don't just jump out of the boat unto patches of urchins

[Unarce]

Originally posted by cortez marine
I'M GOING TO ASK THE ADRESS OF THE FAMILIES TO PROVIDE A WESTERN UNION ADRESS FOR SOME RELIEF.
Steve

Thanks, Steve! Please PM me or post the addresses here when you can.

Karl

[bookfish]

Originally posted by myerst2
I think it's horrible that diver's dying. I have to admit that these divers know the risk involved in the work and probally get paid well for this difficult skill. Deep divers in these areas do it because it's probally the best way for them to make a good income. People die because all sorts of work related incidents. Fisherman who go crabing and other longshoreman die all the time because of their work. We don't boycott crabs. A diver could die in a foot of water if he steps on a venomous fish. It's sad to see any person die, but it comes with the territory. Tim

This is an easy assumption to make unless you've seen the situation first hand. These divers DO NOT get paid well and certainly not nearly well enough to offset the hazards. But we must have our "cheap" fish, pointing out once again, the difference between price and cost.

[Rekonn]

Cortez marine, after the 45 collectors in the Phillipines died, did the diving continue there? I'd imagine that after 45 people die in a single region, the locals would be well aware of the risk, no? Are they in such abject poverty that a man's only choices are to let his family starve or risk diving? Or is the average diver just unaware of the risks, and if educated would simply choose another living?

[GreshamH]

Results show mostly poor reef health affected by illegal fisheries, mainly cyanide and
dynamite and high sedimentation runoff from Polillo’s extensive river system. Overfishing
was a problem throughout the region.

[quote]Very high numbers of Diadema Sea Urchins were found in the shallows of the western end of
Anawan Island (419 and 556 per 100m2). Although on a smaller scale, there were relatively
high numbers of Diadema’s found on the destroyed reefs of Carlagan south sunken island (44
and 62 per 100m2). Although sea urchins are important algae grazers, they can have a negative
impact on the reef in such large numbers. Population explosions of sea urchins are usually
caused by unnatural amounts of nutrients in the water, often a result of pollution.
There were high numbers (4 per 100m2) of Crown of Thorns Starfish (C.O.T, Acanthaster
plancii) found in the shallows of Anibong, north of Polillo. C.O.T. eat live coral and there are
normally a few present on the reef. Their population numbers can explode destroying entire
reefs. These C.O.T. outbreaks are believed to be a response to nutrification (see discussion) of
the water.
Three lobsters were observed on one of the transects along Ikulong Island. The specific
location will not be mentioned here. Lobsters are becoming a rare sighting in the Philippinesas
they are very popular for consumption, raising large amounts of money on the market.
Unusually high amounts of oysters were found on one survey in the west of Palasan. This may
be a result of oyster larvae drifting from the Gumihan pearl farms and settling down in this area.
Other sightings include many kinds of Nudibranchs. One rare species encountered was the
Philinopsis pilsbry.
3.5 ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACTS
Sedimentation was found to be one of the main impacts affecting the reefs surveyed. Palasan,
Ikulong, Anibong and Gumihan all had high sedimentation due to the river outputs from Polillo
Island. Another major impact was dynamite fishing. Blasting patterns were observed in 50% of
the surveys. Some of the survey areas and many areas rapidly surveyed had blasting patterns
and large areas had subsequently been reduced to rubble. Bleaching was observed in 65% of
the surveys (Table 3).
Human activity on the water was mostly spear fishing. There was very limited trash on the
surface. With a low population density in the area, this is not a significant threat to the reefs.[quote]

4.3 FISHING PRESSURE
The Philippines is one of the largest island groups in the world with 60% of the population
residing in coastal areas (Jacinto et al., 2000). The majority of these people are highly
dependent on coastal resources for their livelihood and have sustainably harvested reef
resources without causing significant impacts. The current population growth rate will cause the
population to double by the year 2035 and this will put significant pressure on resources,
including fisheries. It has been suggested that the present levels of fishing can no longer be
sustained (Courtney et al., 1999).
Increased fishing pressure poses a major threat to the integrity of coral reefs as well as to the
future of these coastal communities. In particular the use of destructive fishing techniques
(cyanide, blast-fishing, hookah and muro-ami), reduce the long-term survival of coral reef
communities as they inadvertently cause damage to non-target fish, invertebrate and coral
species. The use of explosives and poisonous substances and the exploitation of coral have
been banned in the Philippines according to the New Fisheries Code (Republic Act 8550) yet
form the greatest direct threat to the reefs of the Polillo Islands. During surveying, it was not
uncommon to hear the explosions of dynamite fishing underwater. At one stage, a dynamite
fisherman was even seen fishing the reefs of Cabalwa. These reefs, found to be one of the only
reefs still in excellent condition, would have been destroyed before our very eyes were it not
16
that a municipal fisheries warden was with us! Blast scars were observed during most of the
surveys. This is the harsh reality of the desperate situation that we found in the Polillo Islands. If
action is not taken immediately to stop all forms of illegal fishing, this unique and highly diverse
marine habitat will be completely decimated within a year.

http://www.coralcay.org/science/publ...lio_report.pdf

[CookieJar]

I agree on sending $$ to the families. The catch will be making sure it gets to the families and is not intercepted.

[GreshamH]

Not really. The Western Union address will be in the families name IIRC so no others can intercept. The clincher is you personally will have to send the money to them to ensure this

[Unarce]

From what I understand, Western Union would be the safest way to send money to the Philippines.

[GreshamH]

Should be, millions of dollars get sent there that way daily

[cortez marine]

Cortez marine, after the 45 collectors in the Phillipines died, did the diving continue there? I'd imagine that after 45 people die in a single region, the locals would be well aware of the risk, no? Are they in such abject poverty that a man's only choices are to let his family starve or risk diving? Or is the average diver just unaware of the risks, and if educated would simply choose another living?

Baby clown triggers in season suspend all the moral and ethical musings we find here in January.
When the babys are in...[ at the 100 foot and deeper zone] the collectors must bring them in order to sell the rest of their fish.
The buyers won't work with them if they don't have the clown triggers.
The 40 plus deaths we recorded were up to 1993. There have been plenty more since then.

The poor performance of the Aquarium reform groups in the past decade didn't train divers well and mostly didn't reach or train them at all.
Diving safety must be a priority in all collector trainings and yet it was just another loss of opportunity when the NGOS failed to convert cyanide fishers to nets or safe diving practices.
Steve