Fishless Seas - Synopsis
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To have surplus every year is a wish the Chinese like to make during Chinese New Year. “Surplus” and “fish” are homophonic in Chinese. Having fish at new-year banquets is considered auspicious in Chinese society. For such occasions, high-priced coral fish such as Humphead Wrasse and Leopard Coralgrouper are the favourites of Hong Kong Chinese.
For the last three decades, the fish-eating territory of Hong Kong people has been expanding fast — from the South China Sea initially, to South East Asia, the South Pacific, Australia and India afterwards. Recently it has been further extended to cover the seas neighbouring Africa. The insatiable appetite of Hong Kong people has already exhausted the coral fish supplies of several regions.
Our story is to focus on the Calamianes of the Philippines, where the fishermen used to live a self-sufficient life. It was when they were aware that coral fish could be exported for a good price, their destiny was changed.
Catching coral fish for the overseas market has not brought wealth to the fishermen. Contrarily, they have become the tools of the fishmongers who are the middle men in the venture overseas. Because of over-fishing, the fishermen are destroying the ocean habitats which are originally their life-blood.
The total catch of the Philippines has declined by 90 percent over the last 50 years. With a continuous demand for coral fish, the ocean, on which the fishermen in the Philippines have been depending for their survival are becoming fishless. Their life-blood is doomed to be drained.
.: 觀看中文版 .: Watch.: News Feature .: Script .: Production Team
