For some people, the ocean is like a second home. These people grew up by the ocean. Much of their everyday life is spent at sea. They are grateful for everything the ocean has given them. They are known to be a group of people who spend the most time with the ocean and know the ocean the best: fishermen. Personal interviews with fishermen give us better insight to their experience and the real-life story behind the waters.
Gusts of wind ruffle the surface of the sea causing fishing vessels to sway gently with the waves. As an orange haze casted over the sea, the sun slowly sank beneath the horizon, beginning its fall toward a fiery twilight and signaling the end of an exhausting day for the fishermen. After a day of hard work, the tiresome men could finally sit down by the shore and enjoy themselves.
The enchanting thing about Nanliao is its beautiful local atmosphere and the hidden story waiting to be shared to you.
A Native of Nanliao Harbor
With more than 200 years of history, Nanliao Harbor is located close to the city in the northern west region of Hsinchu City. Along the coastline, fishing vessels in various sizes can be seen from afar. Aside from the fishermen familiar with
the area, at times we would see people on fishing boats working hard or people chatting about by the shores. We met a fisherman named Lin Ming-Da, a native of Nanliao Harbor and a down-toearth, passionate, modest, and guileless man. But when it comes to sharing stories about his hometown, he couldn’t stop talking!
His family business has been passed down for 3 generations. “I’ve worked in this industry for 30 to 40 years now,” Mr. Lin said. His main job is to produce and sell fishing vessels to other fishermen. Since he grew up in this circle and hung around other fishermen, he had connections from Hsinchu to Taichung. Not only is he familiar with the surrounding marine environment, he also knows a lot of local fishermen. Mr. Lin shared with us the changes the ocean has undergone in recent years according to what he and fellow fishermen have discovered.
Most local fishermen there began working in this industry at a very young age; therefore, they have formed very strong ties with Nanliao Harbor and the ocean. Even when faced with difficult challenges, they don’t just give up everything and leave.
However, as the environment changes, the challenges and setbacks they face and experience also increases. The most obvious change is how polluted the ocean has become and how garbage has impacted marine ecosystems. “The more garbage there is, the less fishes there are,” a fisherman who had just returned to the harbor entrance and begun drawing up his net said. “Now, every time we are planning to go out to sea to fish, we have to consider the weather, tides, and the amount of garbage.” Any garbage that is not properly dealt with on land is very likely to end up in the ocean, eventually making their way to the 5 oceans of the world. Garbage could land up in fishes’ stomachs and could also lead to ocean acidification and impact the ecosystem. This is a cruel reality fishermen and the ocean have to face and overcome.
Buried in Trash
How much garbage is there exactly in the ocean? All you need to do is take a stroll along beaches in nontourist places and you will find piles of trash lying around. Among the litter, 80% of it comes from the land, with a significant portion of it being plastic waste. Of course, all kinds of litter can be found on beaches: buoys, ropes, medical waste, glass bottles, lighters, beverage cans, shoes, and even things we don’t expect to see on the beach such as refrigerators, bathtubs, windows, and iron stands, among others. Although the ocean can accommodate many things, this kind of burden is too heavy. Mr. Lin said, “Now, when fishermen cast their nets, they catch not only fish but also lots of trash that gets stuck on the nets. Sometimes their nets can be filled with plastic bottles and other garbage.” Fishermen originally aspire to sail through the rough winds and waves on their boats, but now all they see is the garbage floating around. The view they are seeing before their eyes is certainly nothing like what the ocean should look like to them. The harsh truth is that their ideal ocean is slowly being polluted by trash piling up and increasing by the day.
The Voices of Fishermen
Due to ocean currents, most of the rubbish that makes its way into the ocean ends up roaming other parts of the ocean. Mr. Lin said, “The garbage here doesn’t only come from Taiwan; they come from all over the world. If you take a walk on the beach you will find that a lot of the trash has words in foreign languages on them.” There are over 30 countries bordering the Pacific Ocean, meaning that the garbage created by the 2 billion people living in those countries either flow to other coastal countries or continue floating in the ocean. No matter what, these litter are real; not only do they affect marine ecosystems but also the lives of fishermen who fish for a living. “Seeing these garbage is truly heartbreaking,” Mr. Lin said sadly. “In the early days, garbage is buried in the hills, so when it rains garbage easily flows down into the sea.” As local residents, these fishermen witness firsthand the ocean being polluted by trash and the sad thing is they can’t do anything about it. Their feelings of helplessness most likely come from their love for the ocean.
Listening to Mr. Lin share the stories of Nanliao Harbor with us, we were left with so many feelings, and without realizing, the sky became darker as the sun sank. As the gold sunset reflected upon the ocean waves, the fishermen sitting by the shore look out over the ocean they love and admire its exceptional beauty. Watching Mr. Lin walk away, we know that he will stay here, silently protecting the ocean. The fishermen at Nanliao Harbor all aspire to once again see the beautiful, clean ocean they remember.
