A Fisherman's Tale

Fish is the main source of protein and revenue for millions of people around the world. When we are enjoying are sushi a fisherman in a third world country is out in his wooden boat with just a pole and line trying to catch a meal to feed their family. Over fishing is already effecting these people in devastating ways. Fishing is not just a sport for these people but a way of life.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/oceans/overfishing/

Greenpeace International brings awareness to this global problem in the video Pole and Line: A Fisherman's Tale. It documents a fisherman named Ali Saeed from the island of Hulhumeedhoo in the Addu atoll with a small population of 4,000 people. He is the operator of one of the largest 'dhoni' fishing boats on the island. He received his first fishing boat from this father 25 years ago. He has gained much business in the last decade because of the demand for sustainable tuna has risen. He states 

"We only catch tuna, nothing else, because our lines are specially made for tuna, so it is not possible for any shark or dolphin to get injured or killed." 

Saeed unlike the giant fishing companies catches his fish with just a line and pole, the best way to keep the tuna population in stock and healthy. Since people are becoming more aware of the problem of over fishing they are turning to fishermen like Saeed to buy their fish from, this also brings a great profit for island communities. Saeed and his family are pictured below. 

Saeed first employed 12 fishermen now he employs 26. Hussin Ahmed Maagashoshuge age 53 has worked with Saeed for the last 16 years. He has been able to make enough money to send his three children to get an education in the capital of Male. Ahmed Zahir Lainofaruge age 36 has been with Saeed for nine years. He states 
"Pole and line fishing ensures that the fish will remain here. It is sustainable. If they use a net, then all the fish are gone and there is no fish to catch the next day."

The websites defintion of pole and line fishing is "Pole and line fishing is a traditional method of fishing, unchanged for generations, and often used by local fishers in coastal communities, such as the Maldives and Indonesia. Using live bait, the fishing targets surface schooling skipjack." Here is a video of pole and line fishing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9K-g8AR51u8#!

Watch Pole and Line fishing video

Fishing is a great opportunity to bring employment and revenue to many places in the world not just small island communities. Large-scale fishing companies that are currently dominating the world's fish market provide little employment and a salary for workers. Their revenue goes straight to the pockets of the owners of these big fishing companies making them extremely wealthy while taking money out of the hands of hard working local fishermen. A new shipping vessel on average will cost 12 million dollars and will cost 2 million dollars a year to operate but will only employ about thirty people. A new "dhoni" fishing boat will cost $320,000 US dollars and employs between 20 to 35 people. 

"Earlier the men would just go fishing and now the people are sending their children to schools. We can also see the difference in the dhonis. We have high-tech machinery like GPS systems now" 

Fishing is vital to support the the economy of many ocean communities around the globe. Pole and line sustainable fishing brings profit to some people who would have no other way to make money. Pole and line fishing will keep a constant supply of fish and revenue for millions of people. If we keep letting these large companies destroy our beautiful oceans we will soon live in a world with no fish and many communities economies will fail.