Pak Udin prepares his fishing line in the mangrove forest of Pengudang Village, Teluk Sebong, Bintan. Courtesy of NTU CCA Singapore.
Reading the Mangroves through a Fisher's Experience
Mangroves are important fisheries that support the growth of 700 billion young fish and invertebrates globally. 4.1 million fishers are also estimated to be dependent on these ecosystems as a source of livelihood, a large majority of whom are from Asia.
In Pengudang Village in the sub-district of Teluk Sebong on Bintan island, many of the villagers still fish in the mangrove forests as a source of livelihood. Pak Awalludin, or as he introduced himself, Pak Udin, is one of the fishers who grew up in the village. He remembers the mangrove rivers as a childhood playground. He recalls: “It has been a habit since we were little. From the age of seven or eight, we have been playing and swimming in the river."
One of the more common fish he finds in the mangroves is the catfish, a group of medium-sized fish that likes to swim and feed on the bottom sediments of the river. Other common catch includes: udang (prawns) hiding underneath leaves in shallow ponds, lokan (mangrove clams) partially submerged in the mangrove mud, kijing (freshwater mussels) in the sandy segments of the river.
To catch udang, he still prefers to use a traditional fishing tool called the “tanjul” he makes himself. Made up of a coconut leaf stick, sewing thread, and a small piece of wire, this special fishing tool hooks prawns by their eyes.
There are always sensory cues that tell Pak Udin where he can find certain animals. As for finding crabs, one of his favourite finds because of the higher price they sell for in the market, he shares that they can be found when there are many holes in the mangrove mud, especially at the base of the trees. These holes are indicators of the underground burrows crabs make to shelter in, a process which also provides habitats for micro-organisms that recycle nutrients in the soil.
Another indicator Pak Udin looks for is alur - a channel where the water depth is deeper, and the current slightly stronger. At low tide, due to less water in the river, small fish and prawns like to stay and play in such channels. The combination of these cues, built from his lived experiences since childhood, help fishers like him to effectively read and understand these complex environments.
Over the years, he has observed some changes in the mangrove forests around his home. Rivers that he remembered were once deep enough to swim across have become narrower, making it more difficult for him to spot shrimps and small fish. He attributes this to a few reasons: heavy rains washing soil into the mangrove streams, plastic waste caught in the roots of the tree trapping more sediment, and large Rhizophora trees, whose stilt roots help stabilize coastlines, also trap sediments. These factors cause riverbeds to rise, causing water in that area to be shallower over time.
In the following video, Pak Udin shares how important mangroves are to him, and the changes he has observed over time.
