The lure of mindoro fishermen's ancient way

Marginal fishermen in Mindoro Strait are on a roll in the the world’s yellow fin market, attracting buyers with their ancient practice of slapping the sea with their lines and beating expensive commercial operations using modern equipment such as sonars, sensors and nets. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said the handline fisherman, who roam the Strait on outrigger boats, catch 70-kilo yellow fin tuna using “kawil” (hook, line and sinker), attracting pelagic fish such as tuna, marlin and mahi-mahi (dolphin fish) in their “payaw” or fish aggregating device. “Tuna buyers from European and Middle East countries as well as Japan and the United States are coming to Mamburao in droves. Mamburao is now the de facto tuna capital of the Philippines,” said Joselito Tiongson, site manager of the WWF.