Professional diver killed in dynamite fishing in Cebu - A professional diver was killed when fishermen threw dynamite at him after being mistaken for a fish while diving in waters off Cebu. A report on GMA News' "24 Oras" identified the victim as 33-year-old Al Bernard Coyoca, whose body was recovered along the shores of Daanbantayan town. One of the suspected has been arrested. Manhunt operations are ongoing for the arrest of two more fishermen involved in the incident. The family of the victim said they will press charges against the suspects. Professional diver killed in dynamite fishing in Cebu | News | GMA News Online
How sad to here this. I thought this type of fishing was a thing of the past. How many years before the fish stocks are wiped out.
This is a rather disturbing news. I met Bernard in 2012 while my husband and I went diving with Divelink in Malapascua. He was a really nice guy, one of a few who are against the hush-hush practice among dive guides of removing critters to hide them from the competition or to stage them for the photographers/divers in order to collect huge tips. I know that some dive center/resort owners would rather wish that this issue (about the circumstances of his death) will just go away because raising awareness means bad publicity which in turn means low profit. The fact that the Philippines is at the center of marine biodiversity puts it on the map as a coveted diving destination. Take that out of the equation and they will have to compete against countless other resorts all over the world who can offer guests better value for their money. You might be interested in signing this petition: Petition · Pasil Public Market: Declare your fish dynamite-free · Change.org This may not stop dynamite-fishing right away but it gets us one step closer to keeping the sea safe and to keeping it fair for fishermen who practice legal and sustainable fishing. Perhaps by raising awareness, local and provincial government will finally stop looking the other way and pretend that the problem no longer exists.
I recently visited a fishing village 400 miles south of Davao. Most of the fishing boats were sitting on shore and were rotting. You had to go out really far to get any fish at all. Factor in the time to get to your destination and the cost for fuel and you have a recipe for failure. So, you need a very good motor to travel these long distances now. Yes, dynamite is being used but also over fishing. There is no such thing as small fish being returned to the sea to get bigger. I don't know if it is just greed or need on the Filippino's part. One thing is sure, the fish population had diminished dramatically.
