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Da’ok students learn about deep bottom fishing, more
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Posted on Jun 20 2019
The Saipan Fishing Association entered Week 3 of their five-week program with the Da’ok Academy, by teaching fishing club students about deep bottom fishing, shallow bottom fishing, spearfishing and even the talaya—a Chamorro throwing net.
Week 3 had several speakers, including former representative Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero, George Moses, J.D. Tenorio, Mike Tenorio, and Alex Castro Jr. All talked about several types of fishing techniques.
“We shared information about spearfishing…mainly some of the safety concerns to consider while spearfishing—what fish behavior you would see, what types of fish to expect, and what type of gear you need,” said Tenorio, who works in the fisheries research arm of the Division of Fish and Wildlife.
Tenorio also touched on conservation and sustainable fishing, where he shared about the types of fish species that could be fished sustainably. Knowing the maturity of the specific fish also reinforces hunting bigger and older fish. Tenorio was with Ymanuel Sablan during his presentation.
“I exposed them to the basics [of cast-net fishing or the talaya],” said Deleon Guerrero. “I taught them about how it’s used and how to throw it,” adding that he also touched on some of the dangers of cast-net fishing.
“Fishing is healthy. [Fishing] would teach them about the ocean and its resources, [and] teach them how to manage it,” he said. “They care about their food, [so] they should care about protecting the environment that harbors their food,” he added.
Deleon Guerrero has been cast-net fishing for about 25 years.
Moses touched on both deep bottom and shallow bottom fishing, with equipment costing over $1,000 to procure. His presentation touched more on fish that dwell in deeper waters of up to 300 feet and deeper, including onagas, gindais, sas, ehus, groupers, monchongs, and white tunas. For shallow bottom fishing, or fishing at depths of two to 15 meters, common target species include emperor snappers, skipjack tunas, red snappers, and big-eyed scads.
Moses said he is passing knowledge that his uncles passed to him.
