Fishermen’s wives turn discarded fishnets into saleable handicrafts

BY ANGELIKA N. BUERGO

MIAG-AO, Iloilo – Fishermen’s wives are turning nets that litter their coastlines into sources of income. They are repurposing them into corsages, decorations for baskets, bayong, hats and more.

The women are part of Coast 22, a social enterprise founded by Almira Gilles. It advocates the protection of the environment through sustainable livelihood.

According to Gilles, Coast 22 targeted wives of fishermen because they could not leave their houses to work. The recycling of nets became their alternative livelihood.

“Fisherfolks are the poorest of the poor and the women have no opportunities for other livelihood because they could not leave their families and work elsewhere. When conditions don’t permit fishing, the families suffer,” Gilles said.

The Coast 22 women are fully responsible of the business process – from sourcing materials and cleaning them, production, and sales.

Originally, six women were trained by an officer from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to make decorative flowers out of the nets. This was held in University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV).

Mary Sol Villarta, Glenda Dela Torre, Herminia Edula, Lilian Sisonrojas, Imelda Pastidio, and Conchita Fabularcon were the first women to train under Coast 22.

Gilles said these women are now skilled enough to train other women in the community.

One of the first six women who trained under the program, Mary Sol Villarta, said the women in their community were given the opportunity to work from their own homes, thereby helping their families.

“Pagkatapos ng lunch, wala nang ginagawa ang mga nanay. ‘Yun ngayon ang ginagawa nila – gumagawa sila ng mga crafts sa mga discarded nets,” she said.

Fine mesh nets, according to Villarta, were the predominantly used nets in their community in Barangay Kirayan Sur to catch small fishes processed into ginamos (fish paste).

“Nag-training kami gamit ang fine mesh nets na ginagamit rin namin dito sa aming coastal areas, kasi mayroon kami ditong sahi at ‘yung tinatawag na bulldozer [trawls] na ginagamit sa ginamos,” she explained.

Training was again conducted in UPV for 17 more additional women from four municipalities – Oton, Tigbauan, Mia-gao and San Joaquin.

“‘Yung mga fine mesh nets hindi tinatapon lang, mayroon pang use ‘yun. Na-engganyo din kami para walang maraming basura dito sa aming coastlines,” Villarta said.

Additionally, she said, they also collect nets from sacks of onions, gingers and other spices sold in the market and old mosquito nets.

“Doon naman sa merkado, mayroon naman mga sako ng fine mesh nets na ginagamit sa bawang. Hinihingi rin namin doon para magamit. ‘Pag hindi na ginagamit, tinatapon lang ‘yan doon sa basurahan. Ba’t pa itatapon kung pwede pa naman siyang magamit?” she said.

Villarta said they are also looking to innovate such as integrating larger nets to their products.

Gilles, on the other hand, saw the program as a way to “combine livelihood formation with conservation.”

“I started it because of my environment and conservation advocacy, particularly my concern about ‘ghost fishing’ where discarded nets kill marine wildlife,” she said.

Gilles founded Coast 22 after her UP alumni group in Chicago funded a marine protected area (MPA) project in collaboration with UPV.

After she conducted research on the possible livelihood program to provide assistance for coastal villages, she focused Coast 22 as a pilot program in Miag-ao.

The products produced by the locals were also sold and exhibited in Chicago./PN

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