physics principles gleaned from the indigenous fishing

Physics Principles Gleaned from the Indigenous Fishing Practices of Fisherfolks in Santo Domingo, Albay, Philippines

Al B. Besmonte1, * and Lorna M. Miña2

Abstract

1Bicol University Regional Center for Science and Mathematics Education Development, Legazpi City, Philippines

2Bicol University College of Education, Daraga, Albay, Philippines*Corresponding author: [email protected]

This study used ethnography through direct field observation and immersion, interviews and described the principles of physics as manifested in the fishing practices of the fisherfolks of coastal barangays in Sto. Domingo, Albay. The objective of the study is to identify the indigenous fishing practices and the related physics concepts. The indigenous fishing practices of fishermen that have Physics applications are: Paghikot (net fishing): net fishing by walking and net fishing with the use of banca, Pagpana (spearfishing): spearfishing at day and night, and Pagbanwit (use of hook and rod): pag-og-og, pagsibid-sibid, pagtalunton, pagkanuos with the use of banca, pagkanuos thru balakwit and pagbalakwit. The Physics concepts applied are evident in indigenous fishing practices are force, motion, center of mass, pressure, buoyancy, elasticity, work, momentum, light, and sound.

Keywords: Fishing Techniques, Indigenous Science , Physics

Introduction

Local knowledge is essential in science building, and all knowledge traditions are spatial in that they link people, sites, and skills (Turnbull, 1997). For example, early Native American Indians utilized the concepts of sound propagation through the ground as warning systems for incoming attacks. They know that sound can travel through solids apart from air and that sound travels faster through solids. Physics is observable everywhere, such as modern technologies in transportation, computers and digital systems, developments in medicine, and those that contribute to a comfortable living. All of these result from the efforts of physicists over time and in all parts of the world.

There have been many sources of livelihood for humans, including fishing among people in coastal areas. The ocean is a source of food, pharmaceutical, and industrial raw materials, including phycocolloids (from seaweeds), bioactive natural compounds, minerals, and other high-value products (NAST, 2017). It is one of the primary sources of income and food for families in coastal areas (Kasperski & Holland, 2013).

The traditional practices in farming are being

BU R&D Journal24 (2): 77-89, September 2021 | ISSN (Print): 0016-4139

journal.bicol-u.edu.ph | ISSN (Online): 2719-082Xdoi: 10.47789/burdj.mbtcbbgs.20212402.07

transferred to the next generation through actual practice and oral tradition. An example is the continued preservation of the rice terraces of Ifugao (Charette-Castonguay, 2014). This wisdom tested by time in farming is also similar in fishing, where student-fishermen can use the fishing ground as their laboratory in learning science lessons.

This process of science learning is called context-based learning. Context-based learning is meaningful because it deals with real-world contentious or controversial issues, often social issues, for students to discuss (Whitelegg & Parry, 1999). It also aims to provide students with a more authentic picture of science and its role in people’s lives and to encourage them to connect science learning with the rest of their lives (Campbell et al., 1994). The context-based learning approach requires learners’ active engagement with the learning materials. The contextual approach follows authentic assessment that involves students in worthwhile, significant, and meaningful tasks. It involves higher-order thinking skills and the coordination of a broad range of knowledge (Hart, 1994).

These practices of fishermen will one day be passed on to their children as they also start their own families.

78

BU R&D Journal, Vol. 24, September 2021ISSN (Print): 0016-4139 | ISSN (Online): 2719-082Xjournal.bicol-u.edu.ph

Besmonte & Miña: Physics Principles Gleaned from the Indigenous Fishing Practices of Fisherfolks in Santo Domingo, Albay, Philippines

These children are the students inside every classroom. Students may invest their time in understanding Physics to understand the environment better they are living in, applying the concepts learned correctly, and live harmoniously and sustainably in the environment. However, despite the practical importance of Physics, students are noticeably having very little interest in the subject. One reason is the difficulty in finding direct application of what is theoretically learned to real-life situations outside the four walls of the classroom.

Considering the merits of the contextual approach to learning discussed earlier, the researcher believes that Physics learning may be improved through this approach. If Physics is regarded by many as a difficult subject, then teaching it using a contextual system may be tried, and its significant effect may be determined. Prosser and colleagues (2000) said that Physics students’ prior understandings of key concepts are systematically related to the way they approach their studies, their perceptions of the learning context, and the quality of the outcomes of their studies. Students cannot relate to the discussion because of the lack of relevance of classroom scenarios to real-life situations. This prompted the researcher to delve into this ethnographic study to facilitate the conceptual understanding of Physics and engender the students’ positive attitude towards the subject.

Therefore, this study aimed to identify the indigenous fishing techniques and their physics-related concepts through field immersion. Each fishing practice has been documented and experienced by the researcher during the fishing immersion. The images used and shown in the manuscript are those taken during actual fishing activities to provide thoughts, reflections, and insights on the fishing activities of young and experienced fishermen.

Materials and Methods

Research Design

The Locale Data Gathering Procedures

This research paper employed a descriptive research design and ethnographic observation to provide an accurate portrayal or account of characteristics of a particular individual, situation, or group. This study is a means of discovering new meaning, describing what exists, determining the frequency with which something occurs, and categorizing information (Dulock, 1993).

The Philippines is an archipelago that is composed In this study, the researcher joined the fishermen in their fishing activities for two months to experience

Figure 1. Albay gulf, one of the fishing grounds in Bicol region (Photo courtesy of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources – National Stock Assessment Program)

of more than 7,000 islands. It is a part of the triangular reef in the world, which is rich in biodiversity. Based on World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the coral reefs in the Philippines are estimated to an area of 25,000 to 27,000 km2.

One of the fishing grounds in the Philippines that contributes to the fishing industry of our country is the Albay gulf (Figure 1). It lies at the southern tip of Luzon Island, situated approximately 13.18oN, 123.93oE, surrounded by the two provinces of Albay and Sorsogon. It is bounded by Lagonoy Gulf and the province of Camarines Sur in the northwest; by the Pacific Ocean in the east; by the area of Sorsogon in the south; and by Burias Pass in the southeast. Five coastal municipalities and two cities utilize fishery resources of the gulf. Albay Gulf is also famous for tuna, tuna-like, and small pelagic species, primarily caught by multi-gear fishers (Macale et al., 2020).

79

BU R&D Journal, Vol. 24, September 2021 ISSN (Print): 0016-4139 | ISSN (Online): 2719-082X

journal.bicol-u.edu.ph


Results and Discussions

Use of Fishing Nets (paghikot)

Use of Spear (pagpana)

their fishing practices. Sixteen (16) local fishermen were the key informants of the study, and they were selected using the purposive sampling technique. There were also informal interviews using Bicol language in the 1st district of the province of Albay to inquire about the situations or principles in physics. This group of fisherfolks was a group of 10-12, 16-21, 35-45 years old, and seasoned fishermen from teenager to 55 years old. The status of fishermen and their experiences in preparing the fishing equipment up to their fishing activities (scientific aspect) have been observed.

The whole fishing activities of the fishermen were documented using a GoPro Hero 7 underwater camera and DSLR Canon 700D camera EF100-400mm. This form of documentation helped the researcher review the fishing experiences and justify the principles of Physics in fishing. Direct observation was also used to be familiar with the application of Physics in fishing. Moreover, the researcher has tried and have experienced each discovered fishing practice.

The researcher sent a letter to the Barangay Captain of Alimsog, Sto. Domingo, Albay to seek permission to join the fishermen in doing their fishing activities. The researcher also requested permission from the fisherfolk officers and from the selected fishermen to accompany them during their fishing activities.

In observing and experiencing the fishing practices, an observation guide was made containing the rules and principles of Physics applied in each fishing practice. These transcripts of the interviews from the key informants were validated by bantay-dagat and Barangay Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils (BFARMC) if fish caught are qualified to be caught and safe, 6 Department of Education master teachers, and six professors from a university in determining the correctness of physics concepts, Provincial Fishery Office and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)- Regional Fisheries Training and Fisherfolk Coordination Division for the legality of fish.

After immersing in fishing, the researcher developed fishing documentaries. Each fishing documentary was used in making the context-based lessons in Physics using the indigenous fishing practices as the context.

Several indigenous fishing techniques were noted within the Albay gulf, and some of them are unique based

Paghikot is one of the common fishing practices in the entire Philippines (Figure 2). The fishing gear is made up of the net that serves as the main part, a weight called “bato-bato,” a rubberized material called “palataw” which makes the opposite edge float, and a long fishing line that connects them. This practice is now being improved by encircling the school of fish with a net that is dropped into the water by the fisherman moving around the area using a “sakayan” or walking in shallow water (Table 1).

In the old days, net fishermen used distorted scrap propellers to hit the seawater to produce sound. Though it was useful in catching fish, it is already prohibited by Bantay-dagat and BFAR since the frequency of sound created by the instrument is really high. This causes great disturbance on the fish affecting their behavior and the ecosystem underwater. When they think they have enough, the remaining members of the boat will pull back the fishing net and get the trapped fish in it. Then, they move on to another area of the sea and repeat catching fish using the fishing net.

Pagpana is a fishing technique that uses a spear and is done by diving underwater (Figure 3). This method is more effective with the help of a rubber strip powered by its elastic potential energy. The longer the rubber, the longer the distance that the iron spear can reach.

The local fishermen in the Albay gulf used gumamela flowers to clean the goggles of the fishermen because gumamela extract can remove the oil or grease in the glass effectively. If gumamela is not available, they use their saliva to clean the goggles.

Divers prefer to conduct spearfishing when water changes from low tide to high tide rather than from high tide to low tide. According to them, they could penetrate or reach the colony of fish that is far from the shoreline during low tide.

Only big fish are being caught by the fishermen, while small fishes can grow and attain their maximum

on the validators. These indigenous fishing techniques and their variations can be classified under three fishing practices: the use of fishing nets (paghikot), the use of spear (pagpana), and the use of hook and fishing rod (pagbanwit). They are all legal and being used by the local fishermen in compliance with the program on sustainable fishing by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. (BFAR)

80



Figure 2. Unassembled net (A); (B) bato-bato; (C) a fisherman dropping his net in the parabolic form to trap the school of guno fish; (D) Two men in the sakayan are pulling the fishing net; (E) Buseros fixing the fishing net that hangs in the coral reef.

Table 1. Comparison of Paghikot by walking and with sakayan.

Walking With SakayanType of Fish caught

Guno (silverside fish) All of the coral fish

Time Usually conducted early in the morning and late in the afternoon, although sometimes there is plenty of fish during low tide.

Net fishing can be done the whole day, depending on the fish caught.

Materials used 25-40 m of the fishing net with a smaller opening that carries and drops in shallow water

Height, 2 to 2.5 m; length, 40 - 60 m. Nets have a wider mesh. 1.5L plastic bottles are attached to the ends of the net, while on the lowermost part of the net, a big stone is attached using sakayan

Fisherman involve

Usually, the breadwinners of the family can perform this. Young fishermen cannot perfectly perform this activity since it requires great timing in setting the fishing gear.

3 - 4 members, including trained and newbie. 1-2 fishermen are in the water to fix the net in the water, then 1-2 in the sakayan

Execution If the water looks grayish and it sparkles occasionally, there is a group of guno fish. That is the time to set up the fishing net by dropping it slowly in the water while walking around the area. A fisherman needs to move very slowly to avoid vibration in the water that would disturb the fish and make them move away from the net. Companion/s will instantly throw stones in the seawater and make them move towards the fishing net.

First, they set up the fishing net in a deep area, specifically near the coral reef, seagrasses, and or beyond the coral reef area. Then one of them will paddle (sagwan) the boat and navigate the direction. While they are dropping the fishing net, 1-2 members (busero) are in the water to fix the fishing net to ensure that they do not get entangled in the corals. The role of the divers in net fishing is quite exhausting because they will swim and dive until the fishing activity is finished.

81




Figure 3. Some scenarios in pagpana. A. Night spearfishing; B. Fixing improvised flippers before diving; C. Lying on seaweeds; D. lying on the seafloor to focus on the target

Table 2. Comparison of spearfishing at day and night. size. This contributes to sustainable fishing. The marine species that they catch in this fishing activity are the fishes and lobsters, prawns, seashells, squids, and octopuses.

They start from the shallow area then proceed to the area where coral reefs can be found. Since they do not use breathing devices like snorkels, they fill their lungs with air before diving and release it slowly underwater. They use a technique called diaphragm breathing for them to have less oxygen burned inside their body.

Spearfishing at night is quite complicated (Table 2). The fishermen need first to prepare the improvised underwater flashlight and are secured with rubber from the interior tire of the motorcycle to avoid the leak of water inside it. One arm needs to hold the flashlight, tied with a cord to the body, while the other hand has the spear. The catch is placed in a net tied to the waistband of the fishermen. Despite the danger of spearfishing at night, it is still an enjoyable experience and activity because of the marine biodiversity at night, which seems to be more active at night time compared to day time.

Daytime NighttimeHindrance Exposed to the

scorching heat of the sun.

Darkness is the adversary and accidentally stacking to the jellyfish of sea urchin because of darkness.

Materials used

Spear, wooden goggles, and improvised flippers

Spear, wooden goggles, full-rush guard, improvised underwater flashlight, and improvised flippers

Fisherman involve

It can be done alone or in group

Done by partners or by groups of fishermen for safety purposes.

Pagbanwit can be done using different techniques depending on the material or equipment used and the creativity and innovativeness of the fishermen. Some of these techniques have no English equivalent terms, so they are described here using local terminologies like Pag-og-og, Pagsibid-sibid, Pagtalunton, Pagbalakwit, and Pagkanuos.

This is a common fishing practice by the local fishermen in the coastal area in Albay gulf. The materials needed in this fishing practice are hook, green polyester cloth, fishing line, iron steel (bato-bato), and motorboat as the means of transportation (Figure 4). Experienced fishermen and even senior citizens are involved in this fishing practice.

At 3:00 a.m, the fisherman is already at the seashore

Use of Hook and Fishing Rod (Pagbanwit) Pag-og-og

82



Figure 4. Activities and materials in og-og and sibid-sibid. A) Making og-og gear; B) The og-og fishing gear; C) Boya; D) The sibid-sibid fishing gear; E) Doing bamboo during twilight; G) Hatching the fish.

the fishing tool sink in water. The fishing line in og-og comprises 50 to 60 pieces of a hook with green or red baits. The distance of each hook is 14 to 15 in from each other. The baits are either polyester cloth. It is used to attract fish by making it appear like a group of planktons.

In og-og fishing, the fisherman moves the og-og upward by raising his hands and moving it down slowly. When he feels a vibration of the fishing line, it is an indicator that there is already a fish caught, but it is not yet time to pull back the og-og. When the vibration becomes faster, it is time to pull back the og-og. In harvesting the fish caught, he needs to hold the fishing line and get the fish from each hook.

More fish can be caught using this fishing technique which is usually done at dawn and twilight. During twilight, which is the last chance to catch fish for the day, the fishing activity starts with switching on the motorboat machine and position the og-og perpendicular to the motorboat by pulling it forward. When the og-og becomes heavy, it means that the hook catches more fish. This scenario is called “ramboo” by the local fishermen.

with other fishermen to check the weather and sea condition for a safe trip. They help each other in pushing their boats from the shore to the water. They sail in convoy under the darkness towards the fishing area. They are determined if it is not raining while they travel for about an hour to their destination.

The actual fishing activity depends on the time of their arrival in the fishing area. They arrive at about 4- 5 a.m., depending on the weather condition and sailing speed. They only have two options for proper positioning in the fishing area: to tie up with the use of rope in boya and use the technique “pagpaanod,” which means going with the water current.

Pagpaanod is hard for a fisherman if he is alone in a motorboat, especially when the water current is strong. Usually, if the fishing boat comprises two crews, one of them will be paddling the boat forward while the other fisherman is doing the pag-og-og. Once the one paddling the boat gets tired, they will exchange tasks.

Once the fishermen are ready, the bato-bato is attached to the og-og. Bato-bato is being used to make

83




Pagsibid-sibid

Pagtalunton

Sibid-sibid is a fishing technique that uses a long fishing line with rod and an artificial squid that serves as a bait made by the fisherman himself. It is made up of pink or brown rubber from an inflatable life-saving device (salbabida). The head of the artificial squid is painted with nail polish to make it shiny. Then the eyes are made of silver or golden beads. The hook is attached to the middle part of the artificial squid. A set of improvised sinking devices is also attached and stay underwater while being pulled by the fisherman. Most of the fishermen who are doing pagsibid-sibid are those who are also doing pag-og-og. As they go to the fishing ground in og-og fishing, they need to pull a long fishing line to attract big fishes.

Fishermen would generally look for a school of fish or guipao. By surrounding the school of fish, there is a big chance for them to catch more. The said group of fish is attracted to and follows the bait, which is just an artificial squid. If they could not see a school of fish, they just move around the boya and try to see if big fish are staying in the boya. If fishing is not successful with sibid-sibid, they use og-og fishing technique.

A single hook, 10 m long fishing line, hermit crab, flashlight, and paddling boat are the most important pieces of equipment used in this fishing technique. Most of the fishermen in this fishing activity are teenagers. It is a culture in the coastal area of Sto. Domingo, Albay, this fishing activity is a means for teenagers to socialize with other teenagers aside from being a means of finding food for their family.

Young fishermen search for umang (hermit crab) in the afternoon and prepare the fishing paraphernalia. In the evening, they start paddling their sakayan (boat), going to the fishing area. The fishing area of talunton is the same area being explored in spearfishing at night. However, talunton is being conducted during the full moon, while spearing at night is done during the new moon.

Pagtalunton means to jump, but in this technique, it means flicking the hand upward when a fish bites the bait in the hook. At a length of about 24 in from the hook, a simple small metal is tied that serves as weight. Fishermen need to attach the meat of the umang thoroughly to ensure it is not detached easily as bait (Figure 5).

Paddling the boat for more than 25 min is an exhausting activity, yet teenagers who are involved enjoy the beauty of the effect of the full moon. The moon rises

from the horizon and creates a reflection in the water. Due to the moonlight being refracted in the water, the fish can see the hermit crab as bait at the fishing line’s end.

When they feel the vibration of the fishing line, fishermen pull the line as fast as they can to ensure the fish get hooked in the mouth or gills. Sometimes, fishers need to wait long before they can catch any, so they need to be patient. When they are unsuccessful in one place, they transfer to another possible fishing area.

Sherwin, one of the study respondents, is a teenager who is doing the pagtalunton using a paddling boat. If he is not careful, the length of the fishing line he drops in water may reach the coral reefs, resulting in the cutting of the fishing line when pulled. When this happens, he needs to replace the hook. If he does not have an extra fishing hook, he will go home empty-handed.

Fishermen usually go home when it is already low tide since fishes are staying in the deep area. The fish

Figure 5. Some scenarios in talunton. A) Conducting pagtalunton using sakayan; B) Pagtalö, tying the hook and line; C) Caught fish in talunton.

A

B

C

84



caught are not intended for commercial purposes like selling for profit but as food for the family. Before they finally sleep in the early morning hours, they need to clean the fish first since they do not have time for it the next day before going to school.

This is the most common and simplest fishing technique that even elementary grade pupils can do and perform as well as the experienced ones. A long and thin bamboo stick serves as the pod in this fishing practice having 10-15 m of fishing line and a hook with hermit crab as the bait.

Some of the parabalakwit just stand on a big rock (Figure 6). Others dig the bamboo stick (bigaunan) in the sand, while some use sakayan. However, digging the bamboo stick in the sand and standing on a big rock are the only fishing techniques under pagbalakwit documented in this study.

Fishermen are catching coral reef fishes by standing on the stone reef because fish prefer to stay near a coral reef. Digging the bamboo stick on the sand targets the fishes staying on seagrasses. In this technique, a young fisherman like James leaves the balakwit after digging its pole in the sand so that he will not distract the fish. When James observes the bamboo vibrating, he will rush from the shoreline and swim in the water to get the caught fish. In this fishing activity, James has to look first for some hermit crab to use as bait.

During weekends and holidays, elementary pupils staying in sitios usually engage in this fishing activity. It is a hobby that gives them much satisfaction, but they are also doing it to acquire food for the family. When the father goes fishing in the Pacific Ocean and stays there for 4-5 days, a young fisherman needs to do his fishing. Some mothers cannot look for employment because they need to attend to her young children. This situation can relate to the situation of children in a local fishing community in Japan as they got separated from their father for months during expeditions. While segregated from each other, children used the same field (the ocean environment) for their activities (Sawada & Minami, 1997).

Pagbalakwit

Pagkanuos

Physics in the Observed Fishing Activities

Pagkanuos simply means catching squid (Figure 7). Squids possess ecological and behavioral features that are pretty similar to those of fishes (Arkhipkin et al. 2015). In fact, Packard (1972) has pointed out that functionally cephalopods are fish. Squid fishing methods are

Figure 6. Young fishermen digging the bamboo pole in seagrass (top) and doing balakwit while standing on rock (bottom).

Fishing gears and boats, navigation, weather, time, the flow of current, and techniques are the things to consider in the entire fishing activities. Three fishing practices were documented in this study such as paghikot, pagpana, and pagbanwit. Variations in fishing techniques under these practices were also identified and documented, such as pag-og-og, pagsibid-sibid, pagtalunton, pagkanuos, pagbalakwit, and other locally-named techniques.

Most of the techniques for different fishing practices have physics applications. Fishermen may not express their knowledge using physics jargon, but they might still know the concepts and principles. However, there are still gaps in their knowledge, such that learning of the science principles may still be useful in improving their practices. Presented in Table 4 are the physics principles

described in detail by Boyle and Rodhouse (2008). Here, we introduce using a paddling boat and using a balakwit (Table 3).

85




Figure 7. Activities in pagkanuos. A) Squid fishing during sunset; B) Caught squid with the fishing gear; C) Searching for umang; D) Attempting to catch guno; E) The newly caught squid cannot escapefrom the big hook, and F) the squid showing its neon color.

and knowledge gaps for each of the three major fishing practices.

As shown in Table 4, the physics principles applied by the fishermen are varied, ranging from principles in motion and energy, density and pressure, waves and optics, and even electricity. Although there are some gaps in their knowledge, they are few compared to the correctly applied knowledge. It is also shown in Table 4 that fishers have more knowledge gaps in the use of fishing net and spear than in using hook and line. This could be due to the complexity of the fishing techniques done in the first two practices compared to hook and line, which even children can do safely under adult guidance.

Their fishing techniques are continuously evolving and improving with time. Their experiences teach them what is best to do and what they should avoid doing. Despite their lack of formal education, they are knowledgeable in doing their craft and unconsciously applying physics principles in real-life situations. Their learning is sometimes due to incidental discovery that results in good practice. A concrete example of this is that net fishers discovered that water is shallow when they hear a sparkling sound inside the banca. Their observation is correct, but they believe it to be caused by air pressure and not due to vibration.

The continuous improvement by fishermen of their fishing practices is supported by the philosophy of John

86



With Sakayan BalakwitTime This is done when the moon is

getting bigger. The fishing time is around 5-9 p.m. or early in the morning, depending on the moon's height. More squid can be caught during full moon since the moonlight is reflected from the artificial shrimp bait making it visible to the squid.

Early in the morning until 8 a.m., only

Materials used An artificial shrimp is used as bait. The hook is attached to the tail or head of the artificial shrimp, which is part of the design. The artificial shrimp is either made of straw or wood, depending on the art and style of the squid fisher or parakanuos.

Umang as bait for guno. 2-3m long bamboo stick with long fishing line and hook (balakwit), which is intended for catching guno as bait for the squid. The fishing line in squid fishing is longer than the fishing line in guno, and it has no bamboo stick.

Fisherman involve Fishermen who are active in this fishing practice are the fathers, although this is not a full-time job to relax after a tiring work in the rice field or agricultural farm.

Teenagers are active in using balakwit. Very young fishermen and very old fishermen cannot do this activity because the throwing of guno needs greater force to reach the coral reef area where the squid stays.

Fishing area Coral reef Usually near the shoreline during high tide only.Execution The fisherman holds a 20 m long

fishing line that stretches forward and backward. The route of the sakayan in this fishing activity is the entire coral reef area where the squid stay. A sudden tugging in the fishing line denotes a possibility of having caught a squid. If that happens, the fisherman has to pull the fishing line slowly to prevent the squid from escaping. Some fishermen use a cylindrical fishing net called tikpaw.

Fisherman stays in a bit deeper by just standing on a big rock, not in a banca, to avoid vibration. According to fisherfolks, squid is afraid of the boat. They perceive the boat to be a big predator that will attack them. The bamboo stick is not used to catch squid but a longer fishing line having guno in the hook. The guno itself will serve as a heavy object to guide the hook in reaching a maximum distance when thrown.

As the squid strongly sucks the guno, it gets hooked and pulled by the fishing line. When the squid notices that the guno is a trap, the squid instantly releases it. So they need to be careful in pulling the caught squid. They use a long stick with a bigger hook to hold the squid to prevent it from escaping.

Table 3. Comparison of Squid fishing with sakayan & balakwit.

Dewey on “learning by doing.” As Bruce and Bloch (2012) mentioned, learning makes sense when people make use of their experiences. As they do the fishing activity, they reflect on their practices and find ways to improve on them. This also applies to their learning of skills. As the fishermen navigate, swim, dive, paddle, and do other related tasks, they improve their skills. They cannot learn such experiences in a classroom setting but in a natural setting that serves as their laboratory or learning environment.

The situation mentioned above can also be connected with the theory of Discovery Learning of Jerome Bruner (Ozdem-Yilmaz & Bilican, 2020). It is learning that involves the rearrangement and transformation of material that leads to insight. It is effective when faced with new material to follow a progression from enactive to iconic to symbolic representation (McLeod, 2019). Fishermen started with basic ideas in fishing but with problems and difficulties experienced and employed trial and error in seeking solutions. Also, by seeking the

87




Table 4. The underlying principles of physics in the indigenous fishing practices.

Fishing Practices Physics Principles Identified Knowledge GapsUse of Fishing Nets (Paghikot)Use of a floating device and weight on either side of the net to make it float vertically

Moving around the school of fish while putting down the fishing net using a paddleboat or by walking in shallow water

Throwing stones on the water surrounded with a fishing net to trap the fish

Use of empty plastic bottles as a floating device

Divers communicate to others either through air or water by producing sounds and vibration using their hands or bamboo poles

Denser objects sink, and less dense objects float

Moving in a bigger circle around the school of fish reduces the energy of sound that may reach and disturb the fish

The direction of motion is opposite the direction of motion of the paddle, as explained in Newton’s 3rd law of motion

Energy is transferred through water waves

Trapped air reduces the containers’ density by increasing its volume. Sound carries energy and can be used for communication

Failure to consider that motion due to moving paddles and walking in shallow water also creates vibrations that disturb the fish and disperse

Failure to consider that sounds produced will travel through the water and disturb the fish as well.

Use of Spear (Pagpana)Use of spear powered by a stretched rubber strip

Use of improvised flippers made of flattened PVC pipe

Freediving or not using any breathing device in diving for 2 to 3 min

Use of flashlight during spearfishing at night time

Tying a rope to connect the diver to the boat while swimming underwater or near corrals

The elastic potential energy of the rubber can be converted into mechanical energy

Force applied on the water creates an equal and opposite reaction force that propels the diver forward

Water pressure increases with depth

Fishermen with a heavy load of fish caught have difficulty surfacing, as explained by the law of acceleration

Refraction and total internal reflection are evident as divers look up while underwater

A point source of light attracts fish and makes them approach the light source

The light bends as they move from air to water or vice versa.

The weight of the boat prevents the diver from swimming fast, as explained by the law of acceleration

Insufficient knowledge about the amount of elastic energy depends on the force constant of the rubber strip, which is affected by its length and size

Failure to consider that weight of PVC increases the divers’ density and may result in difficulty in moving to the surface

Insufficient knowledge about the dangers of a sudden change in pressure as they dive directly into the depth of seawater

Failure to consider that the weight of the flashlight and its density should be considered so that it does not sink when accidentally dropped by the diver

88



Fishing Practices Physics Principles Identified Knowledge Gaps

Use of Hook and Fishing Rod (Pagbanwit)Putting up a fishing shelter made up of coconut stalks and leaves submerged 5-10 m deep and held in place by stone weights and Styrofoam floaters (boya)

Using a device called og-og with 50-60 baited hooks, submerged underwater while attached to the motorboat

Use of long fishing line with rod and an artificial squid as bait

This assembly is being pulled by the fishing boat

Avoiding a thunderstorm by predicting the weather condition that fishermen will find in the middle of the sea

Keeping safe during a thunderstorm by sitting down and keeping the head low while the boat is running

Estimating the depth of water by listening to the sound reflected from underwater

Proper positioning of fishermen as they sit in the boat to improve speed and maintain balance

Using bamboo pole to indicate the presence of a catch

Denser objects like stone pull down the boya while less dense Styrofoam keeps it afloat

The additional weight of the fishing device and fish caught reduces the boat’s acceleration, as explained by the law of acceleration

The color of the bait and its shiny surface reflects light and produces an impression of being a group of plankton

The time interval between lightning and thunder shows the distance of the thunderstorm, which gives fishermen an idea if going to the middle of the sea is safe

Lightning could hit the tallest object in the middle of the sea

The time interval between sound emitted and sound reflected indicates the depth of the seafloor

Stability is improved when the center of gravity is directly above the bottom of the boat. Speed is improved by making the boat tilt up at the front to reduce friction with the water

The Law of inertia is applied.

Bringing cellphones and operating them during a thunderstorm is dangerous.

Table 4 (continuation). The underlying principles of physics in the indigenous fishing practices.

help of other more knowledgeable fishermen, they learn more. Sometimes, their trial and error can even result in a discovery of a new technique.

Another theory that supports the learning of fishermen is the Field Theory of Kurt Lewin (1939). The field theory is the proposition that human behavior is the person's function and the environment (Lucas & Corpuz, 2007). This means that one’s behavior is related to one’s characteristics and the social situation in which one finds oneself. Fishermen learn by themselves from their environment, which is the sea that serves as the fishing

area. The documented fishermen’s knowledge served for the development of learning materials in the classroom.

This documented indigenous knowledge are beneficial to the students, fishermen, educators, and to the community. This would let student-fishermen understand and appreciate the concepts in Physics as they relate them in daily life situations. Therefore the students can work independently or work with others collaboratively as they conduct the activities in Physics. This links the concepts and principles learned in school to the students’ daily lives. Likewise, fishermen

89




would appreciate their existence as a learning context in teaching Physics. They could also get ideas for their safety in swimming or in riding a boat. This is also a way of promoting the fishing industry. The study would also benefit the consumers because they would be more aware of the importance of being a fisherman. Parents would enable them to realize their great role in educating their teenagers and value every fish and not waste any, considering that fishing is quite dangerous for fishermen as a source of income. Similarly, through this study, the teachers will learn to maximize learning opportunities for the students and provide context for learning within the classroom and in the community. They would learn how to present the lessons in Physics in different ways, which the students can enjoy to help them appreciate the concepts in Physics, especially in the coastal area. Even the curriculum writers can use the results to improve the curriculum through suggestions of novel activities to be used by Physics teachers.

Acknowledgment

This humble undertaking was realized with the driving force of the 16- fishermen-key informants, Dr. Amelia A. Dorosan, Dr. Dolores L. Laguilles, Dr. Marcia Corazon P. Rico, Dr. Nora L. Licup, and Dr. Oscar L. Landagan, for sharing their valuable time and expertise to evaluate this work which led to its refinement.

Arkhipkin, A. I., Rodhouse, P. G., Pierce, G. J., Sauer, W., Sakai, M., Allcock, L., ...& Zeidberg, L. D. (2015). World squid fisheries. Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture, 23(2), 92-252.

Boyle, P., & Rodhouse, P. (2008). Cephalopods: ecology and fisheries. John Wiley & Sons.

Bruce, B. C., & Bloch, N. (2012). Learning by doing. Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning, 1821-1824.

Campbell, B., Lazonby, J., Millar, R., Nicolson, P., Ramsden, J., & Waddington, D. (1994). Science: The Salters' approach‐a case study of the process of large scale curriculum development. Science education, 78(5), 415-447.

Charette-Castonguay, A. (2014). Assessment of resilience and adaptability of social-ecological systems: a case study of the Banaue rice terraces. University of Kiel: Kiel, Germany.

Dulock, H. L. (1993). Research design: Descriptive research. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 10(4), 154-157.

References

Hart, D. (1994). Authentic Assessment: A Handbook for Educators. Assessment Bookshelf Series. Dale Seymour Publications, 10 Bank Street, White Plains, NY 10602.

Lucas, M. R. D., & Corpuz, B. B. (2007). Facilitating learning: a metacognitive process. Lorimar Publishing.

Macale, A. M. B., Candelaria, A. P., & Dioneda Sr, R. R. (2020). Catch and fishing effort statistics of fisheries in Albay Gulf, Philippines. Aquaculture, Aquarium, Conservation & Legislation, 13(6), 3330-3337.

McLeod, S. (2019). Bruner’s Constructivism Theory.

National Academy of Science and Technology. (2017). 39th Annual Scientific Meeting Resolutions.

Ozdem-Yilmaz, Y., & Bilican, K. (2020). Discovery Learning—Jerome Bruner. In Science Education in Theory and Practice (pp. 177-190). Springer, Cham.

Packard, A. (1972). Cephalopods and fish: the limits of convergence. Biological Reviews, 47(2), 241-307.

Sawada, H., & Minami, H. (1997). Peer group play and co-childrearing in Japan: A historical ethnography of a fishing community. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 18(4), 513-526.

Turnbull, D. (1997). Reframing science and other local knowledge traditions. Futures, 29(6), 551-562.

Whitelegg, E., & Parry, M. (1999). Real-life contexts for learning physics: meanings, issues and practice. Physics Education, 34(2), 68-72.

physics principles gleaned from the indigenous fishing

Documents