Risking Lives for Napoleon

Tuesday, January 28, 2003

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.

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The full moon is smiling, embracing the sky. Its rays make Kalumbatan Village appear beautiful. The Bajo people's houses on stilts look like ships moored at the edge of a gleaming sea. The waves of the ocean beat continuously. And the stars up above continue to flirt.

The exquisite night doesn't seem to exist as far as 38-year-old Muslih is concerned. On the premises of his floating house, he's absorbed in his work. Sweat drips from his body.

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