The Technique and Ecology Surrounding Moray Fishing: A Case Study of Moray Trap Fishing on Mactan Island, Philippines

Abstract

terra australis 39 create the traps, usage techniques, the environment in which they were utilised, or their structural and functional attributes from a fishing ecology perspective. In contrast, Rau (1979) studied the methods of small fishing businesses in the areas surrounding Cebu from an ecological perspective, reporting the names of the fishing methods, the structure of the tools, the targeted fish and fishing seasons, the environment in which the traps are used, and the productivity of these fishing methods. Rau's research is therefore valuable as a baseline reference point. A rough understanding of moray fishing can be gleaned from the preceding studies and newspaper articles (Garcia 2003), but to date, ethnographic research focusing on moray fishing in the Philippines has not been conducted. Given this backdrop, in 2005, the author conducted a preliminary ecological anthropological study of moray trap fishing on Mactan Island, Cebu. This study describes the actual construction of the moray trap and an analysis of the time periods during which the trap is used in relation to tide and weather conditions at the trapping locations (Tsuji 2007b). Due to scheduling constraints, the author was only able to do an on-board study once, making it impossible to conduct a sufficient weight study necessary for productivity discussions. In order to compensate for this deficiency, another study was conducted in 2008. This report documents the information from that study, intermingling data from 2005 as needed. The primary objectives of this report are 1) to disclose the true condition of moray fishing in Cordova on Mactan Island in Cebu, Philippines, and 2) to document and discuss the technique and ecology of moray trap fishing including a) the structure of the trap, b) the times and usage of the trapping grounds, and c) the effectiveness of the trap. An additional goal of this document is to clarify how the moray trap fishing technique reflects the ecological environment of the region.

An Ethnography on the Wedge Sea Hare in Mactan Island, the Philippines (Etnografi Tentang Kelinci Laut Di Pulau Mactan, Filipina)

“…Mactan Islanders' various fishing activities in the vast productive coral reef area support their livelihoods, and the fisherfolk use specific technologies for exploiting certain habitats (Rau 1979). For example, in Cordova, a town located on the southernmost tip of the island, in addition to shellfish (or other intertidal organism) extractions (manginhas, vernacular Cebuano), fishing activities using hand-knitted bamboo nets, such as bantak, teming, and panggal (vernacular Cebuano), and other similar activities, are widely conducted (Tsuji 2007a(Tsuji , 2013a. Shellfish diving activities (manaon, vernacular Cebuano) are also widely undertaken to search for gastropods of the Strombidae family, including the spider conch (saang, vernacular Cebuano) (Tsuji 2015).…”

“…The main data for this study were collected from May 15 to October 1, 2005, as part of an ongoing research project (Tsuji 2007a(Tsuji , 2013a(Tsuji , 2015(Tsuji , 2016(Tsuji , 2018(Tsuji , 2019(Tsuji , and 2020 in press) that has been conducted since May 2000 in Sitio K (a section of villages) in Cordova. The methods include participative observations, a survey of catches using a spring balance, and interviews.…”

Description of a new moray eel (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) from the Philippines, with a preliminary assessment of genetic and morphological variations of the Uropterygius concolor species complex

“…In the Central Visayas region of the Philippines, small‐sized moray eels found in seagrass beds and reef–seagrass interfaces are the target of a traditional commercial fishery that uses baited small bamboo traps (locally known as ‘ bantak ’) (Figure 2a) to capture the main target species, Gymnothorax richardsonii (Bleeker, 1852) (Tsuji, 2013). However, aside from G. richardsonii , many small bycatch moray species (collectively known as ‘ bakasi ’) are also sold in fish markets and fish landing sites as ingredients in popular local dishes.…”