Photo Stories

Fishing again after Typhoon Haiyan

June 3, 2016

Spear fisherman Edgardo Postrero is delighted to be back on water. “It will help me get my life back to normal and it will be easier to be able to provide for my family,” he says. He adds, however, that more work is needed to prevent illegal fishing activities and ensure fish reserves for future generations. (Photo: Caroline Gluck/Oxfam)

Local carpenters working at an Oxfam Boat Rebuilding Station.(Photo: Caroline Gluck/Oxfam)

Sulangan fishing association chairman, Francisco Alon, 69, shops for materials needed for the repairs. He has been fishing since he was a teenager. “I’m very happy about this because soon we can return to fishing. The wounds in our heart are going to heal; soon we will have our livelihoods back,” he says.(Photo: Caroline Gluck/Oxfam)

Chanley Vileganio is one of few women who fish for a living. Chanley, a single parent with three children, works with her father. “Fishing has been a lifeline for me. My father’s boat was damaged by the typhoon… half of it is totally wrecked,” she says. “It’s the only thing we have that allows us to have a daily income and to buy food.”(Photo: Caroline Gluck/Oxfam)

Chanley and her father, Gregorio, are also pleased about having their boat fixed. They no longer have to rent a neighbour’s boat, which cuts into their modest profit. Chanley says they can “start to get back to our fishing like before and support ourselves”. “I feel really happy about this,” she adds. (Photo: Caroline Gluck/Oxfam)

Patrocinio de Suyo, 57, rents a small boat from a neighbour to fish. He complains, however, that the catch is lower than before the typhoon. “These are the worst catches I’ve had since I began fishing,” he says. “Before, we used to catch anything from five to 10 kilos, but nowadays, we are only catching three to five kilos. I wonder why is this? I think one reason is the coral is damaged.”(Photo: Caroline Gluck/Oxfam)

Fishing families who lived in the path of typhoon Yolanda have lost boats, nets, and tools; the essentials they need to produce food and earn a living. Coral reefs have also been badly affected by the storm. Oxfam is working with fishing communities to rebuild boats and repair nets.(Photo: Caroline Gluck/Oxfam)

Oxfam boat repair station. (Photo: Caroline Gluck/Oxfam)

Days after the project to fix the boats began, the first newly-repaired boats are taken down to the coast to test their seaworthiness.(Photo: Caroline Gluck/Oxfam)

Oxfam has been helping fisherfolk on the island get back on their feet with its boat repair programme. In Sulangan village the first group of 58 people are receiving up to 6,000 pesos each ($134, £80) to fix their damaged boats. (Photo: Caroline Gluck/Oxfam)

Fishing again after Typhoon Haiyan

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