![]() ![]() Held up by a base of floating lake plants, and fertilized regularly with dead plant material dug up from the bottom of the lake, the tomato plants had been farmed this way for generations without consequence. As Than Htun would explain, half of the year was mainly dedicated to fishing, while the other half (during winter when the fish became harder to find) was split between fishing and tending tomatoes. The gardens seemed to extend all the way to the forested hills lining the edge of the lake. “Tomatoes,” Song told me from the back of the boat, “the whole garden.” There they were: the unassuming villains of the story. The fresh, pungent smell of something familiar and faintly reminiscent of home tickled my nose. Nearing one plot of lush greenery, Than Htun leaned far out of his boat and plucked a leaf from a plant, sniffed it, and passed it to me. ![]() Song offered to tug Than Htun’s paddleboat behind our faster motorboat, and half an hour’s ride across the lake with Than Htun deftly balanced at his helm while tightly gripping the edge of ours led us to what seemed a moving sea of plants stretched in long lines across the surface of the water. It’s a fact that is changing the character of the lake itself and the life of the Intha people forever - and up until recently, no one knew the cause.Ī few hours later, when he was satisfied with his catch for the afternoon, Than Htun turned his boat and motioned for us to follow. Over the last few decades, the fish have been disappearing. ![]() But these fishermen know better than anyone that an ominous uncertainty lurks just below the surface. The cloudless blue of the sky mirrored on the surface of the lake was disrupted only by the small fishermen’s boats scattered across its length. ![]() Placid water reflected the green slopes of the surrounding hills with perfect clarity, and the only sounds on the lake were the faraway hum of insects and the gentle ripple of water against the sides of the boats. I had come to Inle with a mission to uncover the reality of life on a lake I’d heard might be verging on an environmental disaster, but what I encountered was so aesthetically flawless I began to doubt my sources. The latest Lonely Planet guidebook features an Inle Lake fisherman on the front cover, and the first ATM card ever to be used locally in Myanmar (released in 2012) displays an Intha fisherman prominently on one side. One of many ethnic groups in Shan State, the Intha people have been fishing on the lake for generations, using the same traditional conical myaw htoung nets, wooden boats, and unique leg-rowing technique as their predecessors. Over the last few decades, Inle has become a popular stopover for tourists wanting a glimpse into the culture of Myanmar and the life of the Intha fishermen. A ten-hour bus ride north of Myanmar’s largest city and former capital of Yangon, Inle Lake is the second largest in the country, following Indawgyi Lake in the conflict-ridden Kachin State. He had introduced me to Than Htun, who in turn had agreed to give me some insight into the fishing life that Song had left behind. He used to be a fisherman but had traded in his net and boat a few years back for a larger boat with a motor, and a more lucrative job as a tour boat driver. #MAW CAT GOES FISHING FULL#“It’s the same routine, every day,” he said from under the shade of his green parasol, “a life full of waiting.” Song and I had met a few days earlier in the town of Nyaung Shwe at the edge of Inle Lake. “Better get comfortable.” He popped a rolled leaf of tobacco and betel nut into his mouth. In our boat floating alongside, Song tossed me an umbrella. With the sun already curving high overhead and only two fish at the bottom of his boat, it promised to be a long day on Myanmar’s Inle Lake. Crouched barefoot at the front of his small wooden boat, he shifted his weight and adjusted his straw hat to better shade his face. THAN HTUN carefully lowered his conical myaw htoung fishing net into the water. Notes from the edge of an environmental crisis: Myanmar’s Inle Lake in peril ![]()
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7/2/2023 02:52:46 pm
En iyi bilecik ilan sitesi burada. https://bilecik.escorthun.com/
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