Apayao is a traditionalfish aggregating device from thePhilippines.[1][2] Payaos are traditionally floating rafts of bamboo anchored to the seafloor, with submerged weighted palm fronds beneath it. They were harvested usinghandline fishing, surfacetrolling, or small-scalepurse seining. Modernsteel payaos usefish lights andfish location sonar to increase yields. While payao fishing issustainable on a small scale, the large scale, modern applications have been linked to adverse impacts onfish stocks. Payaos have been introduced to fishermen inVietnam,Thailand (where it is known assung), and various countries inOceania (including theFederated States of Micronesia,Fiji,Papua New Guinea, and theSolomon Islands).[2][3]
Similar devices are also used traditionally inIndonesia,Malaysia, andTimor-Leste (where they are known asrumpon orroempon inMalay), and among theMoken people ofMyanmar.[2]
A traditional payao is abamboo raft anchored to the seafloor with rocks. They are usually placed in very deep water, but coastal and shallow-water versions also exist. The rafts are around 4 m (13 ft) long, 1.5 m (4.9 ft) wide, and tapering at one end. Beneath the raft arepalm fronds (usuallycoconut ornipa palm) suspended with weights, usually to a depth of 30 m (98 ft). They are harvested usinghandline fishing, surfacetrolling, or small-scalepurse seining. They are used to catchpelagic fish (liketuna,mackerel scad, andkawakawa). Largetuna can be caught in this manner at depths of under 300 meters, far shallower than by contemporary methods likepurse seining.[4][2]
Payao have several different variants, ranging from simple to complex constructions. Thebonbon utilizes a horizontal cylindrical bundle of bamboo as the float with palm fronds trailing beneath. Thearong utilizes a vertically-oriented bundle of bamboo with branches imitating roots below-water, and leaves arranged above the surface, mimicking a palm tree. The rafts can also be single-layered (where the palm fronds are only present on the underside), or double-layered (where standing poles with palm fronds are placed on the surface).[3]
Before World War II anchored and drifting payaos were deployed in all Philippines regional waters barring the east, where strong currents prohibited it.[4] Payaos are frequently anchored in the coastal waters, passively fishing for migrating fish.
The chronicoverfishing of regional Philippine waters, combined with the low impact of shallow-water payao fishing, has led to the establishment of theTuna Productivity Project inDavao Gulf. This will encourage traditional andenvironmentally sound fishing, and aims to decrease the catch of juvenile fish.[5]
Modern payao have cylindrical, bullet-shaped, or rectangular steel floats that can better withstand rough seas, withcement anchors sunk to depths of up to 5,000 m (16,000 ft) deep.[3] They have been adapted to meet the demand for commercially sized catches. They are now commonly used in conjunction with purse seiners,pump boats, andgillnet fishing. The success of these methods has greatly increased the pressure on fish stocks.[6] The use of lighted payaos to attract fish has also had a large impact on catch size and profitability,[7] and by the 1980s over 2,000 commercial payaos were being used in theMoro Gulf alone.[8] By this time most otherSouth Pacific nations had payao programs and were seeking to improve their designs for increased durability for use in open ocean environments.[9] In particular, the drifting payaos using seines, as well as the lighted anchored payaos, catch juvenile tuna and byproduct fish, thereby affecting the lifecycle of the tuna beyond the simple loss of numbers from the catch.
No international policy has been set on the placement of payaos, and many are currently deployed insea lanes, presenting a navigational hazard. The replacement of bamboo with steel cages has also increased potential danger from collision and entanglement.[10]
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