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Geger Riyanto
Parigi, a coastal township, was not as dependent on yellowfin as it is today. It was settled by the same people who arrived on the island to plant copra plants and other forest commodities. Due to the rising prices of commodities, people moved there in the first half century.
The coconut trees are a common sight in Parigi. They are everywhere. The village was once a copra plantation. As more people settled, the plantation gradually became a proper settlement.
Since the beginning of Parigi’s settlement, Parigi residents have relied heavily on fishing as a source for income and food. Skipjack tuna was the most popular fish caught by fishermen, which they either consumed or sold to other residents.
Fishing is an important activity to sustain the livelihoods and income of Parigi villager. Fishing is a major part of their daily lives. They will sail out at dawn to fish. Their wives will be waiting at the shore to help them carry their gear and bring in their catch when they return. They will talk to other fishermen about fishing and prepare their equipment at home. Fishermen form groups to assemble traps that can’t be assembled by one person. They also maintain the regulation of fishing rules as a group.
The importance of fishery in the lives Parigians grew with the rise of yellowfin tuna during the mid-2000s. Yellowfin tuna buyers began to emerge offering very high prices for their catches. Parigi saw a huge increase in population during the decade following the boom. The population was only 300 at the end of 1990. By 2015, it had reached almost 1300.
The boom brought unprecedented prosperity to the village. New houses were built, and the old ones were renovated. Boats of higher quality were purchased by fishermen. Parents sent their children to college and university.
Parigi was changing when I returned in 2018. The number of yellowfin tuna caught by fishermen is still quite high, but it is not the same as it was a few years back. It was apparent that this was due to changes in their fishing techniques. To catch yellowfin tuna, the usual practice was to use a bait consisting of mock flying fish that was controlled by a kite. Now, fishers can only catch tuna by lowering a bait containing squid to lower parts of the ocean. This fishing method takes more time.
Why is yellowfin tuna getting scarcer at the ocean’s surface? Research has shown this to be the case. One of the immediate consequences of global warming is.
North Seram’s fish populations are actually constantly changing. Even skipjack tuna caught has declined, and those who used to eat one fish for their family meal had have to adapt.
As their catch decreased, people began to accumulate debts. However, they still relied heavily on money. They stopped renovating their homes midway. They tried everything they could to lure the fish back, including creating new fish traps and roaming further out at sea. Both of these would have a huge financial impact if they couldn’t catch more fish.
Parigi was stricken by a severe storm surge on 22 February 2022. Tidal waves from ocean swept away houses and boats. Storm surges have been seen before, but this was different. This storm surge was unlike any other. ‘I have never seen anything like this in my lifetime,’ said Jhoko, a young Parigi fisherman to me.
My Parigi friends sent me videos of villager faces as they stare helplessly at the devastation caused by the waves. They scream at fishermen trying to save their boats and warn them that they might be washed away. Even after the ocean calmed down, the villager who lived next to the coast refused to go back to home. They fled to higher ground, fearing a worse storm surge.
The Parigi villagers are now back at their homes. Nobody can predict what the future holds for this coastal community. People whose livelihoods depend on the ocean are in constant danger as a result of our warming world.
Geger Riyanto ([email protected])She is a PhD student in Heidelberg. Images 9 and 10 were taken by Jhoko Wally who is a friend from Parigi. The rest are by the author who also wrote the accompanying article about the fishing community of Parigi.
