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UK NATIVE JAMES Morgan was studying photography in London when he read about a group of seafaring Southeast Asian nomads who had survived the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami with almost no casualties.
“They understood the ocean so well that they headed for protection before the tsunami hit,” Morgan told Business Insider.
An anthropologist by training, Morgan decided to document the Bajau Laut, who have started to lose their culture in recent years because of government programmes that force them ashore. The difficulty of fishing for a living in overfished seas is also becoming a reality.
Morgan found a nomadic people struggling to sustain themselves by continuing to overfish the waters and, ultimately, hurting the very habitat they call home.
He shared a selection of his photos of the Bajau Laut with us here, and you can see the rest at his website.
The Bajau are a nomadic Malay people who have lived at sea for centuries, primarily in a tract of ocean by the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Bajau traditionally live on handmade “lepa-lepa” boats, bringing everything they need to sea, including cooking utensils, kerosene lamps, food, water and plants. They come to shore only to trade or fix their boats.
Traditionally hunter-gatherers, the Bajau have provided for themselves primarily by spearfishing. They are highly skilled free divers, swimming to depths up to 100 feet to hunt for grouper, pearls and sea cucumbers.
Diving is an everyday activity, causing the Bajau to rupture their ear drums at an early age.
The Bajau people encounter constant danger, which prevents many from living to an old age like this woman. Many are crippled or die from “the bends”. This decompression sickness occurs when people dive and then rise to the surface before allowing their bodies to depressurise.
Living on the sea has become increasingly difficult in recent years, as the Bajau have over-fished their habitat.
Bajau make a living by selling the grouper and Napoleon wrasse fish to Hong Kong fishing companies.
The Bajau’s destructive fishing techniques began when soldiers during World War II introduced them to dynamite fishing. Since its introduction, the Bajau have had a destructive relationship with the habitat.
The Bajau have also taken up fishing with potassium cyanide, a chemical they shoot at target species. The chemical stuns the fish, which allows them to be sold live. But it also severely damages coral reefs.
Hong Kong fishing companies introduced the cyanide to the Bajau. According to Morgan, it was a trap. “They give the Bajau the cyanide and the Bajau have to pay back the fee in fish, but they can never fish enough to pay it off,” Morgan says. “It’s a vicious cycle.”
After the Hong Kong companies receive the fish, they inject them with steroids to keep them alive. Live fish are a major seller for Asian restaurants.
The Bajau are slowly losing their culture. Controversial government programmes have forced many Bajau to live on land. This puts them at odds with many governments because Bajau are constantly crossing international borders on their boats.
Morgan says that when the current generation of Bajau die, there will be none who live at sea. In recent years, Bajau youth leave the boats in search of work in the cities as soon as they are old enough.
There is some hope that the Bajau’s living situation will improve. The World Wide Fund For Nature and Conservation International has been teaching sustainability practices to the Bajau in recent years.
For his part, Morgan has tried hurting the live fish trade by focusing on the consumers. After photographing the Bajau, Morgan published his story in the South China Morning Post, as Hong Kong is the main terminus of the Bajau’s fish. He says that he received hundreds of emails in response.
All images: © James Morgan
Don’t think there’ll be much wailing or gnashing of teeth at their departure to cash in those juicy lotto style pensions
@Kevvy kerrr: stop being jealous and begrudging.
@Kevvy kerrr: ‘lotto style’. Same rules as any other public servant.
Adious and do continue the extravagant lifestyle courtesy of the tax-payers. ..
@Michale Kane: well deserved:)
Half of Fine Gael TDs afraid to go before the Irish people again but the government controlled media trying to tell us its Sinn Fein that are in crisis!!
@Kevin O Brien: they told 3 councillors in Kerry they couldn’t run, and parachuted another man who has never had any involvement in politics in as the sole candidate.
The original candidate for Fine gael is currently awaiting sentence for importing irelands largest ever consignment of crystal meth!
Running for the hills before the excrement hits the fan. Knowing full well that the weasels are in for a trouncing come election day.
@Marvin Dollery: no just retiring, perfectly normal :)
@Marvin Dollery: Well, you know they are not really in for a trouncing at all, FG & FF may well end up with 45–47% of the vote,– way ahead of SF , so we will have them back with support of some Independents .
Has our President congratulated Donald Trump yet. Or does 300 thousand jobs and billions in Tax not matter?
The journal trolls are doing a wonderful job in persuading readers to vote Sinn Féin. Keep up the good work John A Doe, John B Doe, John C Doe, John D Doe and all the other John Doe’s.
@Anthony Curran: Wouldn’t be getting my hopes up if I was you Anthony. Not a snowball’s chance in hell Mary Lou will be part of the next government. You’re in for Double disappointment this month on elections.
@Anthony Curran: you vermin are in for one hell of a beating this election :)
@J B: go raibh maith agat Kim jong un
@Paul M Doe: I do love blocking you clõwns. It’s therapeutic :)
fill in the blanks …..
shower of C_ _ _ Z
@Stiles: z..?
@Ciaran: S.
Bye bye please let every door door hit you on the way out.
Amazing how they all talk about work they wanted to get done and couldnt, I wonder how many on reflection could name one positive thing they have acheived? When the politicians come knocking on my door asking for votes I will have one question for them, what have you done to help me or benefit me, cant see my local doctor when I need to, waiting hours in hospital when you have to go in. Cant get my child enrolled in nearest school to me bevause it is full. FFG are esentially buying this election with hand outs.
Not a supporter ,,,but after all that time you given to the Dail you do deserve thanks enjoy retirement James
Thanks
The legacy of most of them, is that they fulfilled their own self interest, failed the people & while those with a conscience (minority) will have regrets, it will all be undone when they retire, gaining that massive Lump sum & pension, amongst the highest in World politics. Irish politics has failed, no more leaders of the calibre of Sean Lemass or Noel Browne to mention two, now we have PR Spin Merchants who have no problem shamelessly lying on air & have used this State to further their own political ambitions. They even have populated social media as we see here daily with “people” like Brendan, Kevin, Paul paid to control the narrative for them.
Congratulations to the wonderful FG patriots who served with honour. Enjoy your well deserved retirement :)
You know they are far from perfect neither am I but aren’t we all lucky that we were born in a reasonably safe part of the world.
Off they trot after a career with their noses in the trough. Leaving their stink behind after sh!tting all over us.
Don’t let your heavy pension hit you on the way out
JB I agree
@Dan Murphy: I don’t.
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