Dynamite fishing kills man, maims son in Cebu

Sun.Star: CEBU CITY -- A dynamite explosion killed a fisherman and seriously injured his 12-year-old son off Barangay San Vicente in Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City past 8 a.m. Wednesday. Ebon Geronco, 46, was about to toss the dynamite when big waves tilted his boat, making him lose his balance until the explosive went off as he held it in front of his chest. The explosion severed his right hand and burned his face and neck. Shrapnel also hit his son’s face and eyes, and doctors at the Olango District Hospital were worried that the boy could permanently lose his sight. He was later transferred to the Mactan Doctors’ Hospital. The accident raises questions about the local officials’ claim that dynamite fishing by Lapu-Lapu City residents has long stopped and that those still at it are from the neighboring towns or cities. “Maningil gyod ang kinaiyahan (Nature always gets its due)," said Edilberta Eyas, the community development assistant coordinator of the Olango Bird Sanctuary, in a mobile phone interview. The Geroncos were about 400 meters from the barangay’s causeway and were immediately helped by other fishers nearby. Ebon, however, did not make it to the hospital alive. Relatives, who encouraged him to stop using illegal methods, bought him a motor boat and a net. But since last November, he resumed using explosives, reportedly because what he caught wasn’t enough to feed all of his 10 children and grandchildren. Eyas said the younger Geronco stopped schooling to help his father at sea. “There is still dynamite fishing in our waters, but it’s much less now, and those responsible are from neighboring areas," she said. Both a national law and a local ordinance ban the use of explosives for fishing, but Lapu-Lapu does not have a Bantay Dagat team to help enforce these laws. There used to be one, but it was disbanded over political differences during the term of the late mayor Ernest Weigel Jr. It’s now the police and the City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Council, which Mayor Arturo Radaza created in 2005, that pursue the campaign against dynamite fishing. Despite the accident, Olango Police Chief Jonel Caadlawon said dynamite fishing is not rampant in the area. He believes fishermen resort to the illegal practices to get more fish even during foul weather. Geronco reportedly used homemade dynamite. To add to their troubles, the police also don’t have a pump boat so they could monitor the area for illegal fishing activities or go after those they spot using dynamite. “That’s not our only concern. Sometimes we can’t even find a pump boat to go after illegal fishers," he said over radio dyLA Wednesday. - Sun.Star