Underscoring the bounty

ONE of the articles in the Food and Agriculture Organization website entitled “5 remarkable landscapes and lifestyles that you didn’t know existed” features the Nagara River in Japan. The article reads that it is one of the cleanest rivers in Japan and that enough should draw you in to read further.

“Its pristine waters house well-known river fish, like the Ayu, provide clean water to nearby communities and irrigate rice paddies and other fields. Both the river and its famous Ayu fish, are economically, historically and culturally connected to the region. The Ayu has great importance in the Japanese culinary culture and is cooked in various styles (including Ayu sushi). As such, this region safeguards the Ayu by placing strong restrictions on fishing and ensuring that the upstream forests are well-maintained, as that keeps the waters of the Nagara pristine, a necessity for the Ayu,” the article read. This leads me to contemplate. What is in our rivers? Very soon, the Apo Agua will supply 300-350 million liters per day (MLD) of potable bulk water from the Tamugan River to the Davao City Water District (DCWD) in some joint venture of sorts.

The tapping of Tamugan River for potable water has long been discussed, as far back as the early 1990s as DCWD already figured out that the underwater source that has nourished city residents since the 1970s could no longer supply the fast-growing population. The population is bursting at its seams now, with more and more people discovering Davao City and choosing to live here. What will stop this population boom from contaminating the very sources of our water?

As it is, Davao River, the city’s longest river system is no longer recommended to be tapped as drinking water, even if the drinking water is treated further before being delivered to the taps. The reason? Too much chemicals and too high E. Coli in it.

But Nagara River has it all in. It has Ayu and because it has this fish that is held in high regard, the river also draws in tourists to see where Ayus live, experience how one of the cleanest rivers look and feel, and be able to fish in it using indigenous methods like, the Cormorant Fishing.

“This method of fishing uses trained cormorant birds to dive into the water and catch swimming fish, carrying them back to the boat in their mouths. It is an ancient tradition that has changed little since its start in the 8th century,” the article read.

One of the cleanest rivers, a highly-regarded fish, old ways of fishing. All these contribute to higher tourism earnings, without even having to catch one fish by hand.

What I see happening here is that of putting a higher value on what is natural, and gaining more because of that. A single fish caught from the river can never equal the cost it takes for a tourist to come all the way from wherever to experience an ancient tradition of fishing and go home more proud of their heritage.

We have them all here. Rivers, fishes, indigenous ways. But like many things Filipino, we chose to destroy them to give way to our fetish for what is not ours, like Western architecture that requires airconditioning that requires power that requires resources including water, and Western thrills that bring in ziplines that whirr louder than all the birds can chirp all together, and yes, change the ways of the lumads, because, you know... they are dirt poor, it pains us to look at poverty in the face, or they are the best propaganda material for anti-government actions.

So what have we got? Polluted rivers and very little heritage to speak of.