Nomadic fishermen in Southeast Asia: a culture in danger

Coral triangle in Southeast Asia is the largest area of marine biodiversity in the world. Includes the triangle, an area of six million kilometers square, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and East Timor. Map: Courtesy of Bing Maps photojournalist James Morgan spent eight months in the Indonesian part of triangle, knowing different groups whose lives are closely linked to the sea. Especially familiar with the Bajau Laut, a group community still leading a nomadic life, living alone in the sea offer. Small, community members need to learn to dive to help families to find their food. , However, the nomadic Bajau Laut is growing increasingly threatened. On the island of Salawesi, Indonesia, authorities have built homes to stop the Bajau Laut Island trip, sometimes crossing national boundaries without identity documents. Many members of the community, particularly the older ones, are reluctant to abandon their traditional way of life and settle., But others, especially young people, recognize that the degradation of the environment in the region is a source of concern and lifestyle you perhaps long steps. Restricts the Bajau Laut access to areas where they fish, they use more destructive methods to survive. Its two main methods of fishing currently are using improvised explosives and cyanide of potassium. Both methods are very dangerous for both humans and coral reefs. Explosives are used to kill fish, but also destroy much of the reefs. When dead fish float on the surface, the Bajau Laut collected them. Cyanide is used mainly for trade of live fish. When they are stunned, capture to sell. Cyanide is dragged by the stream and destroys the reefs. Sometimes the cyanide is used in combination with compressors. Children are sent to 30 or 40 meters of depth, while pumped air hose, but some of those who have not received appropriate training, suffer decompression accident. Bajau Laut fishing is largely for their own consumption, but his step to a nomadic life not also served his immersion in monetary economics. Now some sale of live fish ranging from Hong Kong. Fish are kept in cages in Salawesi and there are transferred to the island of Bali, where sent by air, always alive, Hong Kong and mainland China. In Hong Kong are sold at prices up to 100 times the money received Bajau Laut fishermen originally.

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