10.10   Otoshi-Ami (Lambaklad)

               Otoshi-ami is a Japanese fishing gear and was introduced thirty years ago in Paluan, Mindoro . Locally called “Lambaklad”, it is now widely used in Zambales, Ilocos Norte/Sur, Leyte , Bataan , Antique, Aklan and Iloilo provinces. It is the most expensive trap and costs about P800,000.00 to P1.3 million per unit nowadays.

                The gear with one or two entrances is installed in coastal waters at 25-35 meters deep. It resembles the operation of the ordinary bamboo stake trap but differs mainly in the materials and method of construction. It consists of four main parts: the leader, playground, the inner and outer slopes, and the bag. The leader is made from hand woven polyethylene netting with a 304.8 mm. mesh size and 400/18 twine size. The bag, slopes and playground are made of the same twine, nylon 210/30 but the mesh sizes vary from 25.4 mm.-152.4 mm. The leader length varies from 200-450 meters, while its depth depends on the topography and inclination of the area. It is usually set perpendicular to the shoreline. The leader netting is hung on a 32 mm. diameter polypropylene rope. The leader guides the fish into the playground, then to the slopes and finally to the bag where they are impounded. The slope or the ramp is constructed at a 15 to 45 degrees inclination from the seabed to the bag with flooring and side netting. The bag compartment has a floor, seaside and shoreside, entrance and impounding netting

               The gear, when constructed, is 200 meters long and 40 meters wide. There are 2 parallel mainframes of 36 mm. diameter polypropylene ropes. The opposite ends are tied to the round steel main buoys (180 cm.0 x 1.3 cm. thick) or rectangular steel buoys (2.4 m.x 1.2 m. x 0.6 m.) which are anchored by sandbags. The mainframes are spread sideways to the predetermined width of the playground slope and bag using the division ropes. It is then provided with cylindrical styrofoam floats (40 cm. x 30 cm.) with distribution closer at the bag part. The various net parts are hung on the mainframe using PP 6 mm. tying ropes. Additional sandbags are then anchored on both sides.

               Hauling is usually done in the morning and the afternoon. Two wooden flatboats (7.3 m. x 1.8 mx 0.6 m.) towed by a motorized boat are used during hauling the bag part. The netting is lifted until the fish are impounded in the pocket. Major fish species caught are tuna, mackerel, cavalla, rays, marlin and sharks.