On 20 April 2019, after a long wait, the four of us finally held a spectacular one-day reunion in Iloilo City, Central Visayas, Philippines. The gathering’s purpose: to participate as co-authors in launching the publication titled Assessing Fisheries in a New Era: Extended Guidance for Rapid Appraisals of Fisheries Management Systems (Figure 1). The occasion: “12^th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum” held at the Iloilo Convention Centre.

The said handbook provides new and extended guidance on appraising fisheries management systems containing updated concepts and methodologies for applied fisheries research that acknowledge new technology advancements and the human and gender-related aspects of fisheries. This document is a sequel of the 1996-released Rapid Appraisal of Fisheries Management Systems Handbook (RAFMS Handbook) that the four of us solely co-authored. Although we have had sporadic meetings on occasions, including internationally in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand – as a pair or in trio – nearly a decade has passed since we all gathered in one venue. We tried several times to meet; unfortunately, such attempts never materialized.

I am referring to three intimately close professional colleagues and friends of mine (I would say friends for life). Two are Filipinos: Dr. Melvin B. Carlos, now Deputy Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development and Mr. Len R. Garces, now Fisheries Management Specialist of the Bangkok-based Oceans and Fisheries Partnership Program of the United States Agency for International Development. The lone American is Dr. Robert ‘Bob’ S. Pomeroy, Professor at the University of Connecticut, USA. Upon Melvin’s arrival from the airport, the four of us had an immediate photo op (Figure 2). Given our geographically-dispersed job locations – plus the fact that we all have graying and thinning hairs! –  we knew that our chance for the next four-some get-together is getting slimmer.

After the afternoon book launching and attending to our individual errands, we re-grouped at the nearby Kuya J Restaurant for dinner and beer (Figure 3). Both Bob and Melvin will fly back to Manila the next day, and we had to make the most of that evening. In 1994, we were a closely-knit group working with the then International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management or ICLARM. (Now called as WorldFish, it forms part of the CGIAR Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers.) Bob was our American boss (Melvin and I directly report to him) then, while Len was affiliated with another unit. Along the course of overlapping chats and private jokes, Melvin and Len reminded me, in jovially teasing ways, that I was a ‘floor manager’ twice in Indonesia.

The mere mention of the phrase ‘floor manager’ has abruptly juggled my memories back in time, more specifically in April 1994. The four of us went to Saparua Island in Ambon, Indonesia, to undertake a field testing of the original 1996 fisheries guide we developed, which is cited above as the RAFMS Handbook. Back then, the book’s authorship was solely attributed to the four of us (Figure 4). This publication was printed twice, and copies were surprisingly all sold out easily in 1996, with many request for re-printing. This RAFMS Handbook has been used around the world by various field practitioners and development agencies as well as local government units and non-government organizations.

Anyway, the humor, if not the adult fun associated with such a field testing had led me to being the unlucky ‘floor manager’ in both Ambon and Jakarta. It was as if by a twisted bad luck, I was struck by lightning twice in the same place! And it all happened because I simply wanted to be fair and democratic to my two Filipino colleagues. Our entry airport was in Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital city. Back then, it was already a bustling metropolis (Figure 5).

Since we were economizing on lodging, the three of us –  meaning Len, Melvin and myself   –  decided to just rent a room with double beds: (1) while in Saparua Island; and (2) during our stay in Jakarta when we come back. That arrangement meant one of us should be the ‘floor manager’ – meaning the unlucky fellow will sleep on the floor with just a mattress. (And the two lucky ones would have their individual beds.) As the designated trip team leader and coordinator, I could have simply exercised my discretionary prerogative to get one bed, and let my two other colleagues sort between themselves who would sleep on the floor.

However, I opted for a more democratic process – as a servant leader so to speak. Upon alighting from Garuda Airlines on the way to Ambon Island in Saparua, I pulled out three toothpicks with varying sizes. I told Len and Melvin that whoever got the shortest toothpick would sleep on the floor. Unfortunately, both of them picked the longer toothpicks (Figure 6). Since I got the shortest one, I had to honor the agreement – somewhat grudgingly – by sleeping on the floor during our stay in Ambon. Every night then, both of them (at times either tipsy or intoxicated!) would tease me why I am sleeping on the floor. My mattress was even positioned between their two beds!

The field testing work, though, was a hugely successful undertaking. Saparua Island was such a nice place with warm community members and cooperative local government officials (Figure 7). Briefly, Saparua Island is situated east of Ambon Island in Indonesia’s Maluku Province. We were able to compare the relevant bio-physical, socio-economic and governance indicators with the other field testing sites, which were Ulugan Bay and Binunsalian Bay in Palawan Province, Philippines. Indonesian collaborators who are still closely in touch with us include Dr. Rilus Kinseng of Bogor University and Dr. Victor Nikijuluw of Conservation International.

Upon coming back to Jakarta, after the field testing, I was confident that I would not suffer the same losing fate again. I had been a firm believer of the adage that ‘the lightning does not strike twice in the same spot.’ Hence, the three of us checked in again at a hotel room with double beds. We also requested to have an extra mattress put on the floor. As agreed, the fellow who would get the shortest stick would sleep on the mattress as the ‘floor manager.’

I even boasted in a very self-assured stance that the unlucky fellow would definitely not be me.  To break the earlier bad spell, I used three match sticks this time. I shuffled them in my hands, not knowing myself the length of match sticks they picked. When we compared the length, I was psychologically devastated that I again got the shortest match stick (Figure 8). Len laughed uncontrollably in a loud voice while Melvin gently quipped, “We are truly sorry, but it is your destiny to become a floor manager twice!”

Lessons Learned: It does not always pay to be democratic as the trip leader or coordinator. Being too much of a gentleman may lead to unwanted consequences. Simply told, you need not be chivalrous all the time!

Copyright © 2019 Michael D Pido