The Fishermen Were a Little Scared
They had successfully rescued the cubs, but after the euphoria of the situation wore off, the fishermen started to worry. The reality of the situation was that they were now two men on a boat with just as many bears, who despite their size had tremendous power in their teeth and paws. They might have been tiny, but they were still wild bears on a small boat with two humans. So, the fishermen tried to maintain a respectable distance.