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James Reports May 25, 2009

FISH PEN CONSTRUCTION

Well as most of my readers know I have been back in the USA since last September -- a storm that came thru Fla in Aug 2008, sank and destroyed the houseboat that I had called home for about 10 years -- a lot of other personal problems also hit me after I got back but I digress -- nevertheless, I have not lost sight of my dream of a family and a life in the Philippines. At last things are finding their way into a semblance of normal life -- things are looking up both here and in the Phills -- thru my g/f Elvi and her papa I have become a part of a fish farm business in Digos City.

Our first pen has been built and moved into position. Pens are built of bamboo. The bamboo is tied together and mounted on blue plastic drums. There is a bay just north & east of Digos that is pretty much filled with fish pens. The fish must be fed several times a day. The bay is about a mile wide so to get to the pens to feed the fish one must paddle out in a small outrigger boat, called a banca, similar to the one pictured below. The pens are anchored with poles driven into the bottom and the bay is very protected from storm. But to prevent the fish from jumping out of their pen, netting is placed above as well as below to contain them. In addition to daily feeding, once a month the net has to be changed, cleaned, and repaired.

The first batch of fingerling fish have just arrived, and the first crop of fish will be ready for market in 4 months.

Our foreman's name is Enting. He is the one standing alone in the blue shirt above. I have not met him but he is a long time friend of Elvi's family and has worked in the fish farm business for several years. While in Digos, I went with Nikki to the fish farms area. We spent most of a day on a small island beach just off-shore. Late afternoon rains forced a hasty return in the banca we had hired. I was surprised to find out the young man who rowed us out and brought us back from the island was Enting's son -- he was a really nice kid -- so having met Enting's son, I feel good about Enting.