By: Joe Sprite

As we are nearing the middle of May the fiestas of the coastal barrios is starting to close. The last fiesta would be in Bunga Mar but the upland barrios like Kinagbaan and Laca will hold their celebrations at the same time. Then Lonoy will follow and the action will be confined upwards. Then comes the Santacrusan. This will continue until the end of May. This trend is permanent unless the barrios will change their days of festivities.

However, the coastal people, particularly the fisher folks had noticed a great change in their livelihood trend. Fishes, which used to school in the near shores of Jagna, are gone. There is one specie, which had been gone, not even one is caught among the other fishes. Not even in the neighboring towns.

First to disappear was the gabon or the lantern fish. In the previous years, the gabon starts to make its presence from February to May. The gabon is strongly attracted to lights; even the weak light of a coconut leaf torch will attract them. Even if the light were moved inland, beyond the waves, the gabon would follow. The common method of fishing for the gabon is to attract them with gas lanterns.

Once a great number swarms beneath the light, the lamp is dimmed forcing the gabon to rise towards the lamp. They are caught with scoop nets if the boat is full and there are still plenty, the fisherman will call for the dragnet or sahid. Except for the gritty substance on its head, the gabon is tasty. But the gabon is gone, so long gone that the younger fishermen could no longer say that they had seen or recognize them.

The next to disappear was the hawlhawl, or hawohawo, the native sardine. They too would swarm beneath the gaslights. They too could be caught with scoop nets but not with dragnets, they will not follow shoreward within the reach of the dragnets. Instead, the fisherman casts driftnets or palaran around them. Although bony, the bones are fine and could be hardly noticed if eaten fresh. If cooked with vinegar over a slow fire, the bones will be dissolved and the longer it is kept the tastier it gets. Sometimes the hawohawo swims along with the allied species like the mangsi and the tuloy. But those too are gone.

Another species gone are the bolinaw or anchovies, the mainstay of all light fishermen. They had stayed away from Jagna waters. They are seen on the market stalls but they come from other towns. The gaslights, which used to brighten the near shores from February to May, are gone. They are now seen in nearby towns like Garcia and Valencia . There may be a few seen on some other months but they fish for tugnos, which is probably bolinaw fry. Strange that the fry is present but the bolinaw is gone to some other places.

Something must be wrong in our marine ecology. The fishes, which were found in abundance in Jagna, are gone. Even the tigi, which is said to give Jagna her name, is gone. Imagine; the tigi is dear to the tastes of those from Pagina, Poblacion and Tejero. It could be that the noise of the motorized bancas, which Jagna has in abundance, had scared those fishes. Those fishes should have sheltered in the established sanctuaries but none are found there. Perhaps those fishes are purely pelagic rather than territorial. They swim, where there is abundance of food.