The flying fish season in Lanyu Township is ending, and the county government has announced that the restrictions to the operations of large fishing boats and the protection of the flying fish culture have been successful and resulted in large catches of thousands of fish for all tribes. Sticking to the principle of sharing, township residents divided the catch equally to every household. The majestic sight of flying fish put up to dry reappeared and the ocean culture of Lanyu could go on.
Ten years ago, Pingtung County developed a flying fish tourism industry. Many large fishing boats from other counties and cities moved into the waters of Lanyu to catch flying fish, thousands in each catch. The small engine driven fishing boats and traditional boats of Lanyu residents could not get to the fish, causing safety concerns and much conflict.
In 2005, the county government announced a ban on engine-driven fishing boats over 10 tonnes to enter a zone of six nautical miles from the shores of Lanyu between February and July every year, as well as bans on the use of drift gill nets and driving-in nets. Last year, it adjusted the limit to three nautical miles, and fishing boats from Pingtung County no longer caught flying fish off Lanyu.
Lanyu Township Councilor Chiang To-li says that at times, as many as eight or nine fishing boats from other places could appear at the same time, while old people going out in traditional boats only caught eight flying fish from dawn to noon. One household might only get several dozen flying fish during a full season. Now that the county government has announced its protection of flying fish, every tribal member gets a big catch. On one fishing trip, they might catch upward of a thousand fish. Following the principle of sharing, some are given to relatives and friends, or widows who cannot go fishing. The majestic view of hundreds of rows of drying flying fish can now be seen again.
Chiang says that although everyone kills, scales and dries flying fish till their arms ache, they are happy to do so. With every step done according to tradition, the flying fish culture can continue to exist.
(LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY PERRY SVENSSON)
蘭嶼鄉飛魚季已近尾聲,縣府公告限制大型機動漁船作業、保護飛魚文化有成,各部落大豐收,捕獲量數以千計,鄉民們本著分享原則,平均分送每家戶,曬飛魚的壯觀畫面再現,蘭嶼海洋文化也得以延續。
屏東縣於十年前發展飛魚觀光產業活動,不少外縣市籍大型漁船進入蘭嶼海域捕飛魚,一次捕撈數千隻,蘭嶼本地人的小型機動漁船、拼板舟反而捕不到飛魚,更引發安全顧慮及不少糾紛。
縣府於民國九十四年公告,每年二至七月禁止十噸以上機動船進入蘭嶼沿岸六浬海域、使用流刺網與追逐網作業。去年又再度修正為三浬內,屏東籍漁船不再到蘭嶼近岸捕飛魚。
蘭嶼鄉縣議員江多利指出,外籍漁船最多一次出現八、九艘,有老人家划拼板舟出航,從清晨到中午才捕到八隻飛魚,一家可能整季飛魚季才分到數十隻;現在縣府公告護漁,各部落族人均大豐收,一次出海可以捕捉上千隻飛魚,本著分享原則,有的分送親友或沒有能力捕魚的寡婦,島上重現一次曬好幾百條飛魚的盛況。
他說,大家雖然殺飛魚、刮魚鱗、曬飛魚處理到手軟,但忙得很開心,尤其每個步驟都依循傳統進行,飛魚文化也得以延續。(自由時報記者張存薇)
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