Motivational speakers are fond of saying the Chinese word for “crisis,‿ combines the words “danger‿ and “opportunity.‿ Chinese speakers are tired of pointing out that this represents a poor understanding of their language.
Linguistics aside, there is truth to the notion that both danger and opportunity are present in times of crisis. Small fishing communities around the Bay of Bengal are confronted with enormous portions of each and fishing communities around the world are responding.
The Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA), a group of New England fishermen, have been in near-constant touch with their Sri Lankan counterparts since the tsunami struck. On December 30th, Sri Lankan fisherman Herman Kumara wrote: “We have lost lives, houses, our fishing gear, boats and all our belongings we earned in our lifetime. People are in refugee camps as we do not have anywhere to live. Not a single mat to sleep.‿
NAMA responded, first with cash for food, water and shelter and are now organizing an effort to get Sri Lankan fishermen back on the water, so they can again provide for themselves. Shipments of fishing gear are being assembled and American fisherman convinced marine engine manufacturer Yamaha to provide replacement parts free of charge. So far, so good.
Now what Mr. Kumara calls “a second tsunami‿ is approaching the fishing villages of south Asia and it too, carries danger and opportunity on its crest.
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Bandaranaike has decreed that no houses will be rebuilt within 300 meters of the shore and intact houses will be demolished within that zone and residents will be forced to move inland. This is being done in the name of protecting residents from future tsunamis.
Although the December 26th wave was a devastating catastrophe, a number of unusual factors combined to produce it. First was an earthquake of nine-plus Richter magnitude, an event that had not occurred in 40 years. Second, that earthquake occurred beneath the sea near several low-lying, heavily populated coasts. Third – and most important – there was no tsunami warning system in place, a lapse that accounted in part for the massive death toll. International efforts are underway to ensure coastal areas are not left unwarned in the future.
Permanent evacuation of the Sri Lankan coast seems an over-reaction to the tsunami and will make it difficult, if not impossible, for tens of thousands of fishing families to continue to support themselves.
Herman Kumara worries that President Bandaranaike will use the danger of the tsunami as an opportunity to open Sri Lanka’s fishing grounds to foreign industrial fishing fleets and claim the coasts for the tourism industry. Ms. Bandaranaike has appointed a task force on the rebuilding of Sri Lanka comprised of investors and business interests. Mr. Kumara says there are no civil servants or community representatives. He also notes the presence in Sri Lanka of World Bank officials and believes they will exploit the opportunity presented by the tsunami to impose the industrial fishing model they prefer to Mr. Kumara’s community-based model.
The presence of soldiers from the U.S., India, Pakistan and Canada also concerns the fishermen. Although the soldiers are assisting with relief efforts, Mr. Kumara worries they may swing into action to suppress protests by Sri Lankans afraid of losing their property and their livelihoods.
In the early 1970s, Sri Lankan “agricultural reform‿ pushed many Tamil farmers off their land, helping give birth to the Tamil Tiger resistance movement, which has endured for three decades and controls the northeast section of the country.
For now, New England fishermen are doing what they can person-to-person to get Sri Lankan fishermen back on the water. The sooner it happens, the better chance they’ll have of surviving the second tsunami.
For more information:
www.cleancatch.org
www.namanet.org
To donate:
St. Joseph’s Credit Union
NAMA – Relief Efforts
35 Bradbury Street
Biddeford, Maine 04005
Please make checks payable to the NAMA-Relief Fund.
The Second Tsunami
Motivational speakers are fond of saying the Chinese word for “crisis,‿ combines the words “danger‿ and “opportunity.‿ Chinese speakers are tired of pointing out that this represents a poor understanding of their language.
Linguistics aside, there is truth to the notion that both danger and opportunity are present in times of crisis. Small fishing communities around the Bay of Bengal are confronted with enormous portions of each and fishing communities around the world are responding.
The Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA), a group of New England fishermen, have been in near-constant touch with their Sri Lankan counterparts since the tsunami struck. On December 30th, Sri Lankan fisherman Herman Kumara wrote: “We have lost lives, houses, our fishing gear, boats and all our belongings we earned in our lifetime. People are in refugee camps as we do not have anywhere to live. Not a single mat to sleep.‿
NAMA responded, first with cash for food, water and shelter and are now organizing an effort to get Sri Lankan fishermen back on the water, so they can again provide for themselves. Shipments of fishing gear are being assembled and American fisherman convinced marine engine manufacturer Yamaha to provide replacement parts free of charge. So far, so good.
Now what Mr. Kumara calls “a second tsunami‿ is approaching the fishing villages of south Asia and it too, carries danger and opportunity on its crest.
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Bandaranaike has decreed that no houses will be rebuilt within 300 meters of the shore and intact houses will be demolished within that zone and residents will be forced to move inland. This is being done in the name of protecting residents from future tsunamis.
Although the December 26th wave was a devastating catastrophe, a number of unusual factors combined to produce it. First was an earthquake of nine-plus Richter magnitude, an event that had not occurred in 40 years. Second, that earthquake occurred beneath the sea near several low-lying, heavily populated coasts. Third – and most important – there was no tsunami warning system in place, a lapse that accounted in part for the massive death toll. International efforts are underway to ensure coastal areas are not left unwarned in the future.
Permanent evacuation of the Sri Lankan coast seems an over-reaction to the tsunami and will make it difficult, if not impossible, for tens of thousands of fishing families to continue to support themselves.
Herman Kumara worries that President Bandaranaike will use the danger of the tsunami as an opportunity to open Sri Lanka’s fishing grounds to foreign industrial fishing fleets and claim the coasts for the tourism industry. Ms. Bandaranaike has appointed a task force on the rebuilding of Sri Lanka comprised of investors and business interests. Mr. Kumara says there are no civil servants or community representatives. He also notes the presence in Sri Lanka of World Bank officials and believes they will exploit the opportunity presented by the tsunami to impose the industrial fishing model they prefer to Mr. Kumara’s community-based model.
The presence of soldiers from the U.S., India, Pakistan and Canada also concerns the fishermen. Although the soldiers are assisting with relief efforts, Mr. Kumara worries they may swing into action to suppress protests by Sri Lankans afraid of losing their property and their livelihoods.
In the early 1970s, Sri Lankan “agricultural reform‿ pushed many Tamil farmers off their land, helping give birth to the Tamil Tiger resistance movement, which has endured for three decades and controls the northeast section of the country.
For now, New England fishermen are doing what they can person-to-person to get Sri Lankan fishermen back on the water. The sooner it happens, the better chance they’ll have of surviving the second tsunami.
For more information:
www.cleancatch.org
www.namanet.org
To donate:
St. Joseph’s Credit Union
NAMA – Relief Efforts
35 Bradbury Street
Biddeford, Maine 04005
Please make checks payable to the NAMA-Relief Fund.
© Mark Floegel, 2005