THE perennial dynamite fishing problem in Lapu-Lapu City claimed another casualty.
Yesterday morning, a 34-year-old fisherman suffered severe injuries after the improvised dynamite he used for fishing off the waters of barangay Mactan went off before he could throw it to the sea.
Eugene Salbana of barangay Ibo remains in critical condition in a Cebu City hospital as of press time. He sustained severe wounds in his body and neck, a fractured skull. His lower left arm was also amputated.
The incident happened two days after a harrowing encounter of a group of Chinese underwater photographers, who were participants of the 1st Asian Federation Underwater Photography Championships, with dynamite fishermen off the coast of barangay Punta Engaño.
Last Saturday, the Chinese underwater photographers were doing a practice dive when men on a motorized boat approached the group. The men were told to stay away because there were divers nearby. But they didn’t heed the warning and instead threw an improvised dynamite to the water. The blast prompted the divers to surface. Fortunately, no one was hurt from the blast.
They, however, were able to take pictures of the men who threw the dynamite to the sea. Police later detained some men but they were later freed since the photographers failed to identify them.
Last Saturday’s incident also prompted Lapu-Lapu City Councilor Harry Radaza, head of the committee of tourism, to consider discussing the illegal fishing problem with the City Council.
He also said that he would talk with Councilor Alexander Gestopa, head of the committee on environment, about the incident.
In yesterday’s accident, police investigation showed that the victim was fishing alone using an improvised dynamite about 200 meters from the shore of sitio Apro, barangay Mactan, on his boat.
When other fishermen heard the blast from Salbana’s area, they approached Salbana’s boat to help him gather the fish killed from the blast.
They were, however, surprised to see him bloodied in his boat.
They rushed him to the Lapu-Lapu City District Hospital. Salbana was later transferred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center due to his critical condition.
Salbana’s wife told police that she had long told her husband to stop using dynamite for fishing, but he didn’t heed her advice. /Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza