RODELAS, VANESSA VIANCA C.

BA CMS - I
AQUA SCI
FILM COMMENTARY

I-Witness episode "Dagat at si Lolo Pedro" by documentary director Kara David follows
Pedro Ebora and his son Boyten as they manage the hurdles of being an aquarium fisherman as
their source of livelihood. The film follows him through his life as an aquarium fisherman and
shows how he has been able to provide for his family despite the risks involved and how he has
now handed the business on to his son. The film also demonstrates how he has been able to care
for his family despite the risks involved. Due to the lack of alternate means of support, even with
the dangers that they may encounter, they’ll still be willing to do it.

To catch fishes, they use nets and compressors but to gain and harvest more they use
chemicals such as sodium cyanide, that will make the catched fishes dizzy but at the same time
can still be sold at an expensive price. This idea might sound good as more fishes can be caught
but it does greatly damage and destroy aquatic environments like corals and other fishes that are
not the target.

Poverty and greed are often considered as interrelated hazards to aquatic ecosystems for
many different reasons. There is a connection between poverty and issues with the aquatic
environment. The coastal nature is under stress due to widespread poverty. Just like in the film,
people in desperate situations will risk their lives trying to make a living by any means
necessary. In these coastal areas, where fishing is the main source of income, the poor will
inevitably suffer. So long as the end result is useful, it doesn't matter how risky the process is to
people or to aquatic resources. People of lower socioeconomic status in coastal locations are
especially vulnerable to aquatic environmental issues because of their greater dependence on
natural resources for subsistence.

Whenever we have the opportunity to take advantage of nature and the goods it provides,
we tend to become more materialistic and self-centered. We are not accountable enough to care
about the results of our actions. When it comes to coastal resources, the phrase "short-term gain
as a substitute for long-term loss" holds especially true. The Tragedy of the Commons is the
result of people's natural tendency to increase their own benefits at the expense of others.
Because people are greedy, they come up with creative ways to fish in order to get the desired
rewards. Just like the documentary about the cyanide fishing method to capture fish. Although
they benefit from a good catch in the short term, their actions have a negative impact on coastal
resources and ultimately on their own livelihoods.

It is of the utmost importance that people who live in coastal areas be given the appropriate
priority that they deserve from the government in their own communities. If people are aware of
the circumstances that will arise once the coastal resources have been degraded, then there will
be no problems or threats that can occur. Because of this, it is in everyone's best interest for local
governments to enact a variety of rules and regulations and to check on and assist coastal
communities on a regular basis.

REFERENCES:

Admin. (2022b, June 1). The fishing industry is a classic "Tragedy of the Commons"

example. PERC. https://perc.org/2001/03/01/fisheries-are-classic-example-of-the-

tragedy-of-the-commons

GMA Public Affairs. (2020, March 7). I-Witness: ‘Ang Dagat at si Lolo Pedro,’

dokumentaryo ni Kara David | Full Episode [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3THuUnF2LCY

Poverty's impact on the natural world. (2016, November 5). Voices of Youth.

https://www.voicesofyouth.org/blog/relationship-between-poverty-and-environment