Thousands of boats in the Philippines were badly damaged in the aftermath of the supertyphoon Yolanda (internationally known as "Haiyan"). While many repaired broken ones and provided boats made with traditional methods and fiberglass frames, HELP for Peace conscientiously decided to build boats made of high-grade legal, sustainable wood sources. With the methods developed by renowned craftsman, consultant and artist, Mr. James Durant-Webb, the HELP for Peace veetab boats have inspired more fisherfolks to shift to better methods of boat building.
HELP for Peace has made a strong, unwavering stand to keep from using illegal logs and "casco" (timbers felled primarily and wastefully used to build the boat hull). Some fishermen even suggested that they have "contacts" in Masbate that can cut timber at night and deliver it to their far-flung islet in northern Cebu for use in making new boats.
HELP for Peace recognizes the ecological impact of overfishing, dynamite fishing and deforestation. All of these problems have to be addressed concurrently. By going for the quick and easy sourcing of hulls from already depleted forests, what is rightfully a sustainable project becomes a band-aid solution to provide food for families as use of illegal wood spirals to a wide-arching pervasive problem. (A more detailed article about deforestation for boat-building can be found here.)
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