Sardine run

Today we returned to Salalah for our "every 10 day meeting" with the group to coordinate the next 10 days. This is the beauty of the travel concept of Mantoco. As a principal, everyone travels alone with weekly check-ups, new ideas, and helping each other. (Iran/Irak were exceptions for security reasons)
We used the opportunity to get washing done, stock up supplies, and have a punctured tire repaired.
The evening and night were planned on the beach next to a lagoon with flamingos.
As we approached the beach, I noticed a fishing boat near the shore with hundreds of seagulls excitedly flying above. We went to look. The fishing boat had a net so full of sardines that they couldn't get it to the beach. Numerous pick-ups arrived, and with several ropes, the cars pulled the net to the shore. more was not possible as the net was too heavy. Then fishers and spectators grabbed big bags, filled them with sardines, and carried them to the pick-up's where they were poured into the back.
The excitement in the air was incredible. Everyone shouting, running around, pick-ups coming and going and above 1000 screeching seagulls diving down into the net, grabbing a sardine, and then taking off again.
In the back of the pick-ups, the men were standing up to their hips in wiggling, flopping sardines.
While this event was incredibly exciting, that night I felt very sad, I felt the collective suffering of those thousands of sardines dying slowly.
I have caught fish myself, but I allways made a point of killing them quickly. Just letting fish die slowly is not OK.Read more