So Bantay Dagat and brown algae finally met

I didn't know what to react when some few weeks ago I read this news item on The FREEMAN about Bantay Dagat Sugbo's apprehension of a truckload of brown algae we commonly call "samo" in northern Cebu. It should be pointed out, however, that said truckload of brown algae allegedly came from Masbate, not from northern Cebu. But still this does not exempt our place from the chatter knowing this act of harvesting "samo" is common in our area. In fact, days after the first apprehension, similar entrapment operations by the DENR were made in San Remigio, Cebu.

The initial feeling was delight, for after months of waiting for the Bantay Dagat - both in the municipal and provincial levels - to act on this serious matter, we finally started one move that might be the bedrock of more seizures in the future.

God knows how unrestrained this harvesting of "samo" in our locality is. It used to be only one of the townsfolk's habagat activities but has now evolved into a year-round business. During the months of habagat starting as early as July, huge waves flush these brown algae ashore. People in our town harvest them, dry them up for days under the sun before being weighed and then loaded to huge trucks bound for the city.

These brown algae, as the news report said, are used as ingredients to making plastic wares and fertilizers. It's this demand that prompts people to go keep finding "samo," even if that means uprooting them in the wilderness of the seabed. My personal take is that I think there's nothing wrong with collecting "samo" that get washed to the shore during habagat season because this is due to the workings of nature. But to deliberately go to the seas and uproot them for money in my book is like dynamite fishing. And mind you, our neighbors have been doing this all year round, including summer months.

However, I must admit I can't point a finger on these people. Why? Because collecting "samo" can be a lucrative endeavor. And for people who could barely eat a decent meal three times a day, it's a gamble they are willing to take. I recall we had a neighbor whose family earned more than P6,000 a week by harvesting these seaweeds. And that's why, whether or not they know it's illegal to uproot them in the nearby shores, they would take the risks. As long as somebody is willing to buy, it's business-as-usual.

But while one couldn't blame them since these people are one of the poorest in coastal villages, the truth remains - it's illegal - and the reason is obvious. More than just the biological role of seaweeds in aquatic ecosystems, it's prohibited to uproot these brown algae because it's where cuttlefish or "nukos" actually spawn and nest their "lanay" or eggs. Again, I'm reminded of those days when "lanay" used to thrive in the shallow parts of our seas. Whenever we went fishing during low tides some 10 years ago, we never failed to see these "lanay" strangled among the brown leaves of this algae. Now seldom would you spot one. And no wonder, cuttlefish in the shallow parts of our barangay's waters are also starting to become elusive.

In closing, I have two wishes. One is for the Bantay Dagat and DENR to keep their strict stance on this issue. It is hoped that more checkpoints will lead to future apprehensions of illegally-harvested brown algae. They have done this before when they successfully apprehended fish, particularly "tuloy" caught through dynamite fishing. There's no reason it can't be done for "samo." Second, I hope these poor villages will be empowered and given job opportunities that will divert them from resorting to illegal trade. I think giving these people a source of income is a viable and effective way of addressing this concern. Call that "inclusive growth."