Alhamdulillah (Thanks to God), The Second Translate of Mandar's Culture Article.
Makassar Strait is one of flying fish habitat in Indonesia that
have high population. In the beginning of east monsoon Mandar fishermen, who
live on Gulf Mandar coast, prepare for motangnga
activity. Motangnga is a masterpiece of fishery activity among mandar fishermen.
Because motangnga has many differences with other fishery activities,
especially about fishing technique.
Some of the different thing are a more complex preparation, need
longer time, more taboos to be awared, higher partitipation and involment of
family and community, higher incomes and
more people get benefit, a unique fishing process, and has socio-cultural
element that you just found in Mandar.
Motangnga literally means middle. Motangnga is a fishery
activity to find flying fish eggs around trough of Makassar Strait. Named
Motangnga because in this fishery activity, fisherman should wander in the
middle of ocean about 10-15 days. They watch flying fish come to the fishing
gear where placed in front. Flying Fish will come to buaro(gear) then embed their eggs in the gear. Motangnga term is
caused by fishing flying fish conduct in the end of the west season to the beginning
of early season (April-August) or middle between the two seasons. Fishermen
conducting motangnga called potangnga.
Generally, Mandar fisherman use calendar and compare it with
astromical sign (star position) to predict east monsoon Based on mandar
fisherman understanding. We can predict the east monsoon from some sign. Either
direct sign or indirect sign. Direct sign means they will find flying fish
egges embed to garbage floating in the ocean when they are conduct others
fishery activity or they are fishing at roppo
in the previous monsoon activity.If previous east monsoon start from May to
August that means east monsoon this year will start at the same time.
For indirect sign, they watch star position. According to
some fisherman. Balunnus star is a
sign means the flying fish has rose and the amount is in highest quantity. Fruits
season also used to be other references to determine the number flying fish
eggs will find by the fishermen. If some fruits especially olive fruit abundant
before beginning of east monsoon. That means fisherman will find abundant
flying fish eggs too.
In a capture tuing-tuing
(flying fish) eggs season. Potangnga conduct motangnga 6 or 7 times.
Assumption need 15-20 days in the ocean (sometimes need less than 10 days, for
example : they find many eggs directly or some accident that force fishermen to
shorten motangnga like damage on the boat) and the time between each cruise
trip about 3-5 days.
Location
Mandar Fishermen conduct motangnga above the Makassar strait
through at a depth of 2000-3000 meters. Criteria to select an area as a
suitable depth is not base on direct measurement but on the knowledge that has
been passed down through generations. When fishermen has selected a landmark
seemed small (for a sea mountain case), so thats territorial can be used as a
starting to wander (physical ocean sign, either mystical sign or usual sign is
influence wander location) as well as information from other potangnga that an
area has many eggs.
Motangnga standard cruise line for mandar fishermen is start
from their settlement-Pamboang Gulf – middle ocean (depth ocean) – wander – settlement.
Sometimes. Mandar fishermen can also choose direct route, without passing
Pamboang gulf and go directly to middle ocean. As well as after wander,
sometimes fishermen don’t immediately return to the settlement, they stop in
the other areas to take paqbulu. For
example, corel reefs near Ujung Lero Island , Tonyaman Island and Binuang.
Wander ideal direction is from north to south, but sometimes
is not like that. Physical ocean factors like current will influent. Although
dominant osean current is from north to south, local ocean current may cause a
boat deviated from direction. They can know that they have not in line when
they reach shallow in places that are not supposed to or in others words, their
boat moved slightly to the west. In addition to the current, starting warden
position is very influent, if they put gear is not in the right place they will
experience it.
Boats
Before the 90’s, Before the 90's, motangnga activities
synonymous with legendary boat from Mandar,, Sandeq. Different to nowadays, the number of sandeq relatively
equal sandeq with motorboat. Main reason is sandeq become extinct. So, sailing
sandeq nowadays is the last fishing
sandeq of Mandar.
However, sandeq has several advantages than using a motor
boat. Fishermen who use kappal worry
they will not find the tapping / palataq
and tugo in their search, even they
have spent a lot of fuel. Fishermen who use the screen, in this case sandeq, it
is not a big problem because they use wind power. Kappal would have trouble
driving in the tapping / palataq and tugo, because these objects will disrupt
their boat propellers.
Initially Motangnga activity is to catch flying fish, while
the eggs only as byproduct because flying fish always attaches its eggs in the
gear. Eggs are not yet a commodity traded at the time. When the fishermen come
from motangnga, potangnga distribute the eggs to neighbors and relatives for
free. When the eggs become a foreign demand or when the egg has had important
economic value, flying fish slowly replaced by fish eggs as the main target
motangnga.
Moreover some fishermen are specialized to catch only the
eggs. Because their specialization , Mandar community generally called them as pattalloq or fishermen looking for
flying fish eggs.
Visit Indonesia version on Motangnga Berburu Ikan dari Langit
This article is translated by Muhammad Zulkifli underlicense from the author Muhammad Ridwan Alimuddin
