January 28, 2003 edition
Every night Bajo fishermen are drenched in sweat bent over a wok. They fry fertilizers till they're cooked, mix them with match powder, and put them in bottles with wicks. These homemade bombs are ready for detonation in a calm sea the next day. Once the bomb explodes, fish big and small writhe to the surface.
For the sake of expensive catch such as Napoleon wrasse, thousands of Bajo people in a number of regencies in Central Sulawesi are becoming ever more relentless in their pursuit. They don't mind diving for hours, without a thought to personal safety. There have been hundreds of casualties—some become paralyzed due to diving; more than a few have died playing with bombs.
The tribe which used to live in harmony with the sea seems trapped. Not only are they lured by the fish brokers' persuasive bait, they're also being squeezed out by increasingly narrowing fishing grounds.
Every night Bajo fishermen are drenched in sweat bent over a wok. They fry fertilizers till they're cooked, mix them with match powder, and put them in bottles with wicks. These homemade bombs are ready for detonation in a calm sea the next day. Once the bomb explodes, fish big and small writhe to the surface.
For the sake of expensive catch such as Napoleon wrasse, thousands of Bajo people in a number of regencies in Central Sulawesi are becoming ever more relentless in their pursuit. They don't mind diving for hours, without a thought to personal safety. There have been hundreds of casualties—some become paralyzed due to diving; more than a few have died playing with bombs.
The tribe which used to live in harmony with the sea seems trapped. Not only are they lured by the fish brokers' persuasive bait, they're also being squeezed out by increasingly narrowing fishing grounds.
Read More
More Intermezzo articles in other editions
January 21, 2003 edition
January 1, 1970 edition
At the start of every hunting season, a Lamalera community elder on Lembata Island conducts an ancient ritual, chanting a prayer to summon a school of whales towards local waters. The Lamalera people of East Nusa Tenggara believe that the whales hear this call.
What is the basis of their belief? Well, each year from May to September, dozens of whales always come close to shore. The Lamalera people surround them in their boats and then harpoon the whales. Sometimes these whales can be conquered but often they become wild and drag the fishermen out to sea.
Environmentalists generally excuse this hunt, as the Lamalera people do not kill whales for commercial purposes. For them, killing whales with their spears is both a tradition and an art.
At the start of every hunting season, a Lamalera community elder on Lembata Island conducts an ancient ritual, chanting a prayer to summon a school of whales towards local waters. The Lamalera people of East Nusa Tenggara believe that the whales hear this call.
What is the basis of their belief? Well, each year from May to September, dozens of whales always come close to shore. The Lamalera people surround them in their boats and then harpoon the whales. Sometimes these whales can be conquered but often they become wild and drag the fishermen out to sea.
Environmentalists generally excuse this hunt, as the Lamalera people do not kill whales for commercial purposes. For them, killing whales with their spears is both a tradition and an art.