Reflection
This research project is about the after effects and challenges farmers and fishermen of Saipan had to face after a catastrophic typhoon ravaged the tiny island. I choose to do this project because I know a few fishermen who fish for sport and as a means to feed their families. It was also a great way to prepare myself for the jobs I plan on pursuing in the future. It has taught me how to properly collect data, analyze that data , and to present that data in a way that opens the eyes of others. The most important lesson I've learned from this project is that, everyone struggled after the typhoon, but some struggles were harder for some than for others. Over the past few months of doing this project I learned that I still have a lot to learn about writing. I have never heard off, let alone written in APA format, so this was a huge challenge for me. I have learned many things from Doctor Bunts-Anderson about the APA format but I still feel that I have a lot to learn. For example, I am still struggling to cite in APA format, but I plan on working on this as I continue on with my college career. I feel that I have become a better writer as a result of all the hours I have spent in class and front of a computer. Overall, I feel that I still need a lot of improvements. One area is time management. I still struggle with this at school, and at home. Another would be organization. I need to learn how to properly organize my notes in a way so that I don't have to go crazy looking for them in the future. None the less, I still feel that I have improved my writing skills over the past few months and that I look forward to getting better as I go. As I said before, I am always looking for ways to challenge myself in all aspects of my life, writing included. |
The Effects Typhoon Soudelor Had On the Farmers and Fishermen of Saipan
Rudolpho A King Northern Marianas College, Saipan, CNMI Author Note English Composition 101, Section 1, Dr. Kimberly Bunts-Anderson Table of Contents Abstract………………………………………………………….3 Introduction……………………………………………………...4 Research Question and Secondary Questions…………………...5 Results……………………………………………………….......6 Conclusion……………………………………………………….9 Abstract This study was conducted on the island of Saipan, CNMI, which had recently experienced a super typhoon. The focus of this study was to determine what were the after effects of a super typhoon on the local farmers and fishermen of the island and the challenges they faced. To determine what exactly the effects of the typhoon were, the researcher used interviews, newspaper articles, and web research to find out. The results of this investigation found that the farmers and fishermen faced gasoline shortages, destruction of crops and decline of fish population, power outages, competing with canned foods for customers, and as a result limiting the only source of income for these farmers and fishermen. IntroductionIn August of 2015, Saipan was struck by one of the most devastating typhoons in over thirty years, Typhoon Soudelor. Fortunately, no lives were lost during typhoon. The environment however, suffered significant damages which took a toll on the people who depend on it, such as farmers and fishermen. They faced obstacles that they were not prepared for. The challenges they faced were, gasoline shortages, destruction of crops and decline of fish population, power outages, and finally, competing with canned foods for customers. Research Question How did Typhoon Soudelor affect the farmers and fishermen of Saipan? Secondary Questions What were the major challenges faced after the typhoon. Were there any differences in sales before and after the typhoon? Was there a decline in fish population after the typhoon? Were there any affects to the crops? Results For the farmers of Saipan, the first obstacle they faced were gas shortages. For a farmer who lives in Kagman, one of the villages of Saipan, has to harvest their crops and transport the produce in vehicles to two of Saipan's local fresh markets, the Thursday market in Garapan, or the Saturday market in Susupe, which are several miles away from their farmlands. After the typhoon hit Saipan, these markets were shut down so most farmers had to carry their vegetables on cars and travel from house to house, and village to village in order to sell their products. When gasoline was in short supply, some farmers faced the daunting task of having carry their produce in bags and walk within their own village in order to sell their produce. The difficulties of gasoline shortages that fishermen had faced were having sufficient amount of gas for their boats in order to travel to their preferred fishing area and back to shore. The days following the typhoon, many gas stations were found too damaged to function properly. Fully functional stations however, were used for government vehicles only. Which left the fishermen with no choice but to limit the distance they travel or, put a halt to their much need fishing trips completely. When the general public were finally able to purchase gasoline, limits had to be set on how much gasoline one could purchase at a time. This limitation made it even more difficult for fishermen who had to travel miles out from shore to catch fish. Another obstacle farmers faced was the destruction of their crops. For most farmers, their crops are their livelihood, and so they have to take good care in order to make a profit of them. According to agriculturist and CNMI Farmers’ Cooperative secretary Isidoro T. Cabrera to the Marianas Variety, “Farms were devastated,” he added. “We are not going to get any fresh produce for 30 to 45 days.” Based on his estimate, local farmers and ranchers have lost about $250,000 worth of fruit and vegetables. Many farmers grow vegetables, such as water spinach or Chinese cabbage, which can be easily uprooted, and are planted in an open field exposed to the elements. Due to the strong winds these vegetable were in fact uprooted. On the other hand, fishermen who were finally able to venture out to sea, saw a decline in the amount of fish they caught. This is due to the strong swells caused by the typhoon, forcing many fish to seek calmer waters away from the islands. Some of the most popular fish bought on the islands are reef fish, but with the strong winds and swells left by Typhoon Soudelor, made it nearly impossible to harvest these fish for marketing. . Due to the typhoon, many power poles on the island were knocked down. Over 150 power poles and 114 transformers were damaged or destroyed, this caused an island wide power outage that lasted for almost sixty days. As a result many business, such as supermarkets and water companies were affected both of which are very important for farmers and fishermen. Supermarkets purchase fresh vegetables and water companies which provide ice for fishermen to keep their catch fresh. Many farmers who sold their products to supermarkets before the typhoon were unable to after wards. This is because the entire island had no power. Many supermarkets relied on generators for power. Supermarkets who bought fresh produce bi-weekly could not maintain their freshness as a result. Most of the supermarkets which had generators supplied power to only a few refrigerators, for only a couple hours at a time. Which cost the farmers financially. As for the fishermen, to keep their products fresh, bags of ice are needed on a daily basis. But with the power outage, and the water companies giving on a few bags of ice a day, which did not happen. Many of their fish that were not bought before the typhoon were left to spoil. Finally, as a result of all these factors, many residents refused to purchase fresh produce because there was no way to preserve their freshness without power. Many of the island's residents relied on canned goods to feed their families. Canned goods have a very long shelf life and don’t need to be refrigerated, unlike fish and vegetables. Which prevented farmers and fishermen from generating income. Conclusion In conclusion, Typhoon Soudelor devastated Saipan’s’ fishermen and farmers in many ways. Gasoline shortages which prevented farmers from transporting their goods to the right locations, and limiting fishermen on how far they can travel to catch fish. Many crops were destroyed as a result of the typhoon, and fish population declined or were too far away to harvest. Power outages forced supermarkets to reduce or even stop their purchase of fresh goods from farmers, bags of ice needed to preserve fish were limited or unavailable, and canned goods saw an increase in sale, fresh produce fell, and the local fishermen and farmers lost much needed income. |
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