Sulawesi, Indonesia, famous for its tuna. Traditional fishing methods passed down from generation to generation. Lompon. Indonesia is located in the center of the equator, between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, and is made up of large and small islands. Sulawesi, located in the center, is an island made up of four peninsulas. Surrounded by the Sulawesi Sea, the Flores Sea, and the Molucca Sea, the islands have abundant marine resources. Makassar, the central city and port city of South Sulawesi, is a place where you can feel the strong scent of the sea. Perhaps because of this, the Makassar fish market is full of large fish from all over Sulawesi. The most eye-catching fish among them are tuna and skipjack tuna. In particular, skipjack tuna is called 'Cakalang' by the locals, and 'Cakalang Fufu (Smoked Skipjack Tuna)' is considered a Sulawesi delicacy. Most of the tuna and bonito that come to Makassar are caught in Bulukumba, which is famous for its long-standing traditional tuna fishing. There are two main ways to catch tuna here. The first method is to set up a net by sensing the movement of birds or schools of fish. This method is to catch only by feeling, relying on the judgment and quickness of the fisherman's long experience. Captain 'Arka' sets up a net when birds gather or fish jump out of the water. However, since it is caught by feeling, the probability of failure is high. The second method is to catch tuna using a fishing device called 'Rompon'. Rompon, which is set up in the middle of the sea, is a kind of shelter for fish. It acts like coral where fish can eat and rest in the vast ocean. A bundle of bamboo about a square meter in size is installed in the sea and coconut leaves are hung underneath it. As time passes, moss grows on the coconut leaves, small fish gather, and large fish gather to eat the small fish. “If farmers have rice fields, fishermen have rompons.” “Our grandfathers made rompons to survive in the barren sea, and I think they had a great idea.” Mr. Vasily, who has been fishing with rompons for generations. He currently has 15 rompons installed in the Bonne Strait and is catching fish. When catching fish with rompons, they usually cast their nets before the sun rises, and the sailor who plays an important role in this process is called ‘bacacha’. This is because they go into the sea and check if there are any fish around the rompons. However, swimming through the rough waves is not easy. Mr. Vasily has a capable rompon, Harry, on his fishing boat. With Mr. Vasily as his role model, Harry has been learning sea work for 10 years. He is the head of the household and raises two children like rabbits with his wife. He is still fighting the rough seas and working hard to make a living in order to have his own rompon and boat someday. Meet the story of the Bulukumba fishermen who nurture their dreams and hopes by building a rompon in the vast ocean. ※ Humans and the Sea - Bulukumba Traditional Tuna Fishing Rompong (2023.12.11)