Abriko Fishermen
Date conducted: 30-Jan-18
List of participants:
#20: Male, 49 years, 7 Children, Fisherman & Farmer, No Education
#19: Male, 35 years, 5 Children, Fisherman, Secondary
#5: Male, 38 years, 3 Children, Fisherman & Farmer, No Education
#16: Male, 32 years, 1 Child, Fisherman & Farmer, 2nd Grade
#15: Male, 53 years, 7 Children, Fisherman & Farmer, 8th Grade
#18: Male, 34 years, Unknown Children, Teacher, Fisherman & Farmer, 3rd Grade
INTRODUCTION
Gana: In the future, we may have the opportunity to work with fishermen or an association, so it is important that we learn about the fishing trade. We want to know what are the priorities of fishermen, what challenges they face, how fishing families live, etc. Today we would like to ask you some simple questions along those lines. Feel free to speak from your own experience. We want you to feel comfortable in responding. Thanks in advance for your participation. My name is Gana, an employee of HEKS-EPER.
Natacha: I am Natacha. I work for an organization called Sociodig, along with Tim.
Tim: Yes, my name is Tim. Sociodig works together with HEKS-EPER. As Gana explained, we are here to gather information for a report.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): A fact finding commission?
Tim: Yes, we are researchers here to collect information. That is our sole mission.
#5 (Abriko, Male, 38 years, 3, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Ok
Gana: Ok, let’s begin. Do you have the list, Tim?
Tim: Yes, you can start.
Gana: We would like to know more about fish. You are the experts since you catch many fish in your line of work, right?
Participants: Sure…
Gana: To start, let’s compile a list of the most common fish in the area.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Ok, ok.
Tim: Give us the name of a fish that you catch.
#5 (Abriko, Male, 38 years, 3, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): We catch balawou (Scomberesox saurus)
Tim: What else?
#5 (Abriko, Male, 38 years, 3, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): We catch doliv.
Participants: Ton, he means ton (tuna, Scombridae f.).
#5 (Abriko, Male, 38 years, 3, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Yes, tuna.
Tim: Are they the same thing: doliv and ton?
Participants: Yes
#5 (Abriko, Male, 38 years, 3, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): We also catch bonit (bonito, Scombridae f.).
Gana: Humm
#5 (Abriko, Male, 38 years, 3, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Dorad (dorado, Coryphaenidae f.), taza (baraccuda, Sphyraenidae Sphyraena), lake (?), kanma (?), karang (trevally, Carangidae f.)
Gana: Karang?
#5 (Abriko, Male, 38 years, 3, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): And batalake (probably needlefish, Belonidae)
Gana: Batalake? That’s the first time I’ve heard of that type of fish.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):When he says batalake he means pilòt kola (?)
#5 (Abriko, Male, 38 years, 3, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Pilòt kola or another name is kedrat.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Do you follow? Kedrat
Natacha: So the fish has several names?
Participants: Yes, there you go
Tim: What other fish do you have?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Hmm, we already mentioned karang… There is also diven. What’s the other name for diven, again? (Direct translation of diven is wine).
#18 (Abriko, Male, 34 years, Teacher, Goat Farmer , 3rd Grade): Jelekse?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Jelepse
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade): Jilèt diven, or jilèt (razor)
Natacha: Jilèt (razor)? (possibly surgeonfish, Paracanthurus hepatus)
Participants: Yes
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, we catch them by palan fishing.
Gana: Palan fish?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Palan fishing. It’s a way to catch live fish.
Gana: Hmm, Palan fishing? I don’t totally understand what that is…
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):You use a hook.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): And you hook it
Gana: And that catches certain types of fish?
Participants: Right
Natacha: Is there a season that you fish?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes
Natacha: Does each fish have a specific time to catch it?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Sure, each has its own time…
Natacha: Can you always find them in the ocean?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):It depends. In the deep ocean you find all types of fish: balawou, taza, bonit, ton, dorad.
Tim: These are all fish that you catch in the deep ocean?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, we catch them at Fish Attracting Devices (FAD) in the deep water.
Gana: How else do you catch fish?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):We mainly engage in three types of fishing: we longline fish, we fish with nets and we fish in the deep sea platforms (FAD) (with rods). FAD fishing brings in the most money. That’s how we catch balawou, ton, dorad, bonit, pilot. But when the [tide] is low we do palan fishing.
Gana: Palan fishing?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes. You catch a lot of types of fish that way, like sad (?).
Tim/Gana: Palan?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):It is a traditional way of fishing with a line.
5 minit
Tim: Ahh ok, you use a line and hook on it?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Exactly. And you bait the hook.
Tim: Ok, you use line to catch sad, etc.?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):All kinds of fish. Vivano (live) fish.
Participants: All kinds
Tim: Those seem to all be large fish?
Participants: Yes, large fish.
Tim: I didn’t hear anyone mention small fish, like fen (?)…
Participants: We’ll get to it, we’ll say all of them (laughter)
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):There are other ways to fish, but they require certain equipment, such as pèch batri.
Natacha: Pèch batri?
Participants: Pèch batri
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, pèch lumiere
Tim: Ah ok, got it. Do you have to dive to catch it?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):No, no. Pèch batri uses a light to attract fish to your boat so that you can catch them. You catch all kinds that way: fen, dorad, kadino (?)…
#5 (Abriko, Male, 38 years, 3, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Lake fish…
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):All kinds of fish.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Another method of fishing is to use traps…
Gana: Wait, wait. So that makes four types of fishing: platform fishing, line fishing, fishing by light and fishing with traps?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, we use traps to catch balbaren (?), fen, boutou or parokèt (parrotfish, ScaridaeI).
Gana: Boutou or parokèt are the same?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade): We also fish for other types of fish. When the fishing season isn’t any good, we fish with nets. That way you catch other types of smaller fish, such as tik (?), karang (trevally, Carangidae f.), kwoko (?), pwèlkon (?) and woma (lobster, Palinuridae f.)
Natacha: OK, so I want to know more about the season… There are 12 months in year, which month brings in the most fish?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):During the hot time of the year
Natacha: Starting which month?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):The month of May
Natacha: That’s when fishing is best?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, May until October
Natacha: Is the fishing good that entire time?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Sure, you can catch fish most of that time. But some days you don’t catch anything at all.
Gana: I know that sometimes the current prevents people from fishing?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):The current poses a problem because it’s hard to find the markers for fishing sites. You can waste an entire day searching for the exact spot where the platform is anchored. It’s much easier with a GPS unit.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): I’ll explain… It’s difficult to navigate when the current is strong because the sites are deep underwater.
Participants: Yes, they sink to the bottom or move in the current.
Tim: But could you find the location with a GPS?
Participants: Exactly
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): You could register the location on a GPS unit…
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):And then you use the device to return to it.
Tim: Have you heard of a “fish finder”?
Participants: “Fish finder”?
Tim: It’s a tool that shows you where the fish are.
Participants: We’ve heard of it, but we don’t have one.
Tim: You’ve heard of it?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, it uses “echo sound location.”
Tim: Right, it uses sonar to show the exact location of fish.
Participants: (Agreement)
Tim: Does anyone have a GPS unit?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):No, we don’t have one.
Tim: No one? So you don’t use one?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):We took a training course to use GPS technology.
Tim: Who provided the training?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):An organization that was assisting us.
Participants: It was the people from Food for the Poor
Tim: Food for the Poor? Were they the same people that gave you solar panels?
Participants: Yes
Tim: Did they also provide the white fiberglass boat (“chaloupe”)?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):That is from another organization.
Tim: Who?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):An organization called PADI
Tim: PADI gave you the white boat?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):We purchased it…
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): From Jeremie
Tim: You paid?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): We purchased it on credit
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):We pay a little back each month
Gana: Does the boat belong to an association or is it owned by an individual?
Participants: It’s privately owned by a group of fishermen
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): 3 or 4 [fishermen]
Tim: PADI financed the credit?
Participants: Yes
Tim: How much does a boat like that cost?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): 135,000 HTG
Participants: No, it was more…
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):That was the retail price?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): No, that was the subsidized price that PADI provided.
Tim: They contributed to the purchase with their own funds?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes, exactly.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):All together, it could cost up to 66,000 – 67,000 dola (330,000 – 335,000 HTG)
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Haitian dola
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): That sounds about right, because [PADI] agreed to pay half of the price. And we paid 135,000 HTG.
Tim: That makes sense.
Gana: Ok, returning to the fish in the area. You listed many different types of fish, but what type do you fish for the most?
10 minit
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): It depends on the time of year. For example, at this time we mostly fish at the FAD platforms for balawou and ton. Those are the fish that bring in the most money, because they are big and they are harder to catch. There are times when fishing at the FAD is not possible, so we catch and sell a lot of the other types of fish instead… Line fishing is important for many of us, especially starting in February and March. But it can be difficult. You can spend the whole night line fishing and not catch much. In general, fishing at the FAD platform has a better chance to bring in money, plus you can do it during the day. That’s why we prioritize it.
Tim: Can you line fish anywhere?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): No, not everywhere
Tim: What about fishing at a FAD? Where do you install the platforms?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): It has to be in deeper water. Some people say at least 300 feet down. But starting at 15 feet to 150 feet depth. You have to go much deeper to catch kadino or devin or dowon (?).
Tim: What do you use for bait on the hook?
Participants: Sadin (sardines)
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Krapo lanmè (literal: frog of the sea)
Gana: Krapo lanmè?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):That’s pyèv (?)
Tim: Pyèv?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Wi
Tim: Is that a plant?
Gana: Pyèv is a sea creatue. It has lots of legs.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Chat wouj (octopus)
Tim: Ok, ok I understand. You use that when line fishing?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): Yes, as bait.
#5 (Abriko, Male, 38 years, 3, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Also lanbi (conch, Lobatus gigas)
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): We start line fishing in March through May. In June and July you stop catching fish.
Gana: So line fishing has a season?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): Yes, for the most part. You can still spot the occasional person line fishing during the off season, but the current becomes stronger. It can be difficult to spear fish as well. Personally, I think spear fishing is better in the current, but you waste a lot of time finding the location.
Gana: Ok, ok.
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): It’s much easier to find with a GPS, it’s easier to find it. It leads you directly to the location where the fish are. It could be helpful to locate fishing traps as well. We use several tools to fish, such as traps, lines, nets…
Tim: When do you make the traps?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): As soon as the “nòde” is ready (Abriko, May be a reference to the bamboo maturing to make the traps?). At this time you might find enough material to make a 2 or 3 traps, but starting in May there is enough to make a lot of traps.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):March, April and May
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): All the way until the month October.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes, that’s the best time to make them.
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): Right now there’s only a few people fishing with traps in the area, because the conditions are dangerous. The [current] can break the traps.
Natacha: Do any accidents happen when you’re out on the water fishing?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):All the time.
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): Especially when the sea is strong. It’s only natural. The boat can flip over in the waves, people fall overboard, are struck by the propeller, or drown. Sometimes it’s case of negligence, sometimes it’s just [bad luck]
15 Minit
Natacha: But can’t you see from land if the sea is too strong to go out to fish?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): Sure, sometimes the sea looks rough, but we still have to catch fish. If we alwaysx stayed in, there would be no one to fish (laughter).
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): The sea is stronger than us. Stronger than a motor boat. There are larger boats made specifically for rough conditions, but even those boats have their limits.
Natacha: Ok, outside of fishing what else do you do?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): There are some of us that fish, others that farm…
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Some raise livestock
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):It’s not just when the sea is strong. It’s also when there are storms on the horizon (“fume nwa”) that prevent you from going out to fish or docking the boat.
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): I want to add to that. GPS technology would be very helpful. The problem is that donors only provide training. They don’t provide the equipment to use the training. When I asked the price for a GPS unit, they said they didn’t know…
Gana: Did you ask Alex to check on the price for you?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): No, it’s hard to track Alex down.
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): Even the people who provide the training don’t know the price. They were given the GPS units by the donor.
Natacha: But as fishermen, does the state ever help you?
Participants: (Laughter) Well…
#18 (Abriko, Male, 34 years, Teacher, Goat Farmer , 3rd Grade): That’s a good question…
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): As far as I’m concerned, there is no support from the state.
#19 and #18 (Abriko, Male, 34 years, Teacher, Goat Farmer , 3rd Grade): If we waited for them, all the fishermen would die.
Tim: Do they not carry out any enforcement? To tell you that you can’t fish at this time or in that place?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Oh no, they don’t intervene like that.
Tim: Is there any area where you are not permitted to fish?
Gana: An area that is off-limits?
Participants: No, there are no such restrictions…
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): They provide neither enforcement nor support!
Participants: Between us fishermen there are certain restrictions. Like in Wozo…
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): No, that’s not what they are asking.
Gana: What restrictions? Is it a state law?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): No, these are two different things. There is enforcement of the law and then there is conflict between fishermen. The state might forbid you from fishing in a certain area. If you fish there then you break the law… But if another fisherman tells you not to fish in the area around his home then that’s a conflict.
Tim: And the people of Wozo won’t allow you to fish there?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): No, they don’t allow us to fish the reefs in the area. Even though they are part of the same Food for the Poor project. If you try to fish the area they’ll chase you away and hurl insults.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): They keep it for themselves.
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): They’ll do anything to chase you from the area. We don’t do that here. If someone from another area comes to visit, we give them food to eat and a place to sleep. A fisherman will take them into their home, because we know that they are a fellow fisherman.
That’s something that I proposed to Food for the Poor several times. I asked them to form a federation at the department or even national level for fishermen. Something to encourage collaboration, because many fishermen believe they are in competition with eachother. For example, there is a fisherman from Bonbon that tried to fish at FAD platforms near Jeremie. When the fishermen in that area caught him fishing at their platforms they said many terrible things to him, because he was an outsider.
The fisherman [from Bonbon] knew the rules, but he fished there anyways. He told me that he had to make money. He wasn’t carrying a machete or a pick to take from another’s land, he just had a line in his hand to fish the ocean.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): It’s just a tool to make a living…
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): Right, he said I have fishing line in my hand the same as you. How can you call me an outsider? But you know the FAD is something that is fragile. A boat can cut the line and lose it. You have to be blind to not see that. He comes to fish in other communities, but he doesn’t contribute to maintaining their platforms.
Natacha: Is there ever a shortage of fish?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): Yes, there is often scarcity.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Wait, there is something you said that caught my attention as a fisherman.
Natacha: Yes?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):You asked about the Haitian government and that concerns me a lot. First, there is very little support from the government for fishermen, particularly out here in the Grand Anse department.
Gana: There is no support?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):And second, they just don’t think about us. If it wasn’t for NGOs, we would have all perished after hurricane Matthew.
20 Minit
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):That’s why we take out hat off to Food for the Poor for everything they’ve done for us.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): And we can’t forget EPER…
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):EPER helped us a lot too.
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): They gave us FAD platforms
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): (Agreement)
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):They gave us FADs, that gave us a motor, that provided the means for us to pick up the pieces and continue living. Do you know what I mean? That’s why I find it hard to respond to your question about the support of the government. Because they haven’t provided any support. We wouldn’t be able to continue as fishermen if it wasn’t for those two small NGOs.
Tim: Where do you find line for your nets?
#15/#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):That’s private property…
Tim: But where does one find the material?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):You buy it.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): You buy it in the store.
Tim: Do they sell line in the stores here?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):In Jeremie
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Or Port-au-Prince
Tim: What if I need a mask to dive?
Participants: From Jeremie or Port-au-Prince
Tim: What about a net?
Participants: Everything comes from Jeremie or Port-au-Prince
Tim: Is there no supply store here?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):None at all. That’s one of the biggest problem we face as FAD fishermen here. We can’t find the right line. There’s a type of line called dayilòn (nylon?) that we need to fish.
Tim: A line that is very strong?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, 150, 160, 180 [lbs weigh limit]. It’s hard to come by. You have to get it from the Dominican Republic.
Tim: It’s only in Dominican Republic?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Dominican Republic
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Sometimes you can find it in Jeremie
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):No, not even in Port-au-Prince
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): The Dominican Republic or from Miami
Tim: Ok, but there is another type of net. It’s very fine and made with line…
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Layilon (nylon?)
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Is it a blue net?
Tim: It’s very durable. It can last a lifetime.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, it lasts a long time. It helps us a lot.
Tim: Where do you find that material?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Dominican Republic
Participants: Dominican Republic
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Sometimes you can find it in Les Cayes
Tim: Are there people here that travel to the Dominican Republic to purchase it?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):There are some people who make a business doing it.
Tim: They come and go regularly?
Participants: Yes
Tim: Do you give them money to purchase it for you? Or purchase it when they return?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):They buy it and resell it for a profit.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): If I needed it, I would go to Les Cayes myself.
Natacha: Ok, I have another question. When you catch fish do vendors buy they directly from you? Or do you have to go to the vendors to sell the fish?
Participants: No, there are vendors that come buy fish by the river.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):But it’s not a perfect system. Sometimes the vendors aren’t serious about purchasing fish and they go to waste. We work hard under the sun to catch them but find no market for them. For example, today I caught a bunch of fish but there was no where to sell them. There are not enough people [in the immediate community] to eat all of the fish while they are fresh. So we lose money on the fuel for our boats…and you can’t pay for your children to go to school.
Tim: Because you can’t sell everything?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):No, there is no where to sell them…
Tim: Even big fish?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, all kinds of fish
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): And we have no way to preserve them…
Tim: But the women could dry them?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): They still go to waste.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):When they are dried the price goes down a lot. If only there was a place to conserve them then we could transport them to Port-au-Prince to sell.
Tim: So you have a place but it’s not sufficient?
Participants: No, we don’t have cold storage
Tim: Do you have a refrigerator?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):A refrigerator doesn’t do the job.
Tim: Because it doesn’t hold enough fish?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):The refrigerator is out of order.
Tim: Broken?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes
Tim: So you’re saying that a cold room is important to you?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Very important
Tim: Because it’s better to sell fresh fish?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, there’s more profit to be made from fresh fish – for fishermen and vendors.
Tim: Who sells the fish?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Merchants. They purchase them and resell them. Sometimes on credit.
Tim: And they go to Port-au-Prince?
Participants: No they sell them in the local market
Tim: Do people from Jeremie come here to purchase fish?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):No, just people from the surrounding districts.
Gana: That means you sell the fish you catch to the vendors that resell them in the community?
Participants: Yes
Gana: Do residents ever buy fish directly from you?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Sure, sometimes
Gana: Does anyone from other areas come to buy fish here?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Listen, it’s hard to make a profit selling fish. For example, you might catch 5,000 HTG worth of fish, but some of it spoils in transit. So then you’re left with some 3,000 HTG of fish. But you have to pay 2,000 HTG for petrol for transport, you have to pay the association and you have to contribute to the FAD. So even after working through the sun and the rain all day, you can’t even make 5 HTG to feed your family or children.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): When he talks about paying for the FAD…
25 Minit
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):There is a fee for using the FAD.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): There are FADs jointly owned by associations and there are privately owned FADs. You have to pay to use them in addition to the cost of gas.
Tim: You pay after you catch the fish?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes, after you catch them.
Tim: Do they take a cut?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes, they take a percentage. If you catch 5,000 HTG worth, then you have to pay 750 HTG to the owner of the private FAD.
Tim: Hmm…
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Now, you still have to purchase 6 gallons of petrol, plus oil for the motor, and you have to pay your crew…
Gana: And what’s left is profit?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): That just how it is.
Tim: The fiberglass boats are for association?
Participants: Yes, they are the association’s.
Tim: Does anyone have a private boat?
Participants: Yes
Tim: Ok, so imagine we are fishing in my [private] boat. We catch fish. and divide them between us. How much do I get to keep as the owner?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):As the owner of the boat and motor, you keep one third of the proft. The rest is divided between the crew. So for example if we make 3,000 HTG, you keep 1,000 HTG. The remaining 2,000 HTG is divided between the crew. If there are four crew members, each receives 500 HTG.
Natacha: Do you have any type of insurance incase something happens to you at sea?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):(Laughter) No no no
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): No the state will not help you
Gana: There’s no service like that?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): Where they insure you?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Never
Natacha: Not even amongst members of the association? Where members help eachother in case of an accident?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): No, the association doesn’t have an insurance system
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):We don’t have access to insurance at all.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes, but we try to look out for each other. There’s a rule that you must take a cell phone when you go out to sea. That way if you run into trouble you can call the association for help. They’ll buy gas and send a captain to rescue you in his boat.
Gana: OK, I have another question. Do you have any way to contract with clients, so that they pay you for the fish in advance? Like if you know that you are going to catch large fish?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): No we haven’t done that before.
Gana: Are there no large clients like that?
Tim: Clients that transport the fish to Port-au-Prince to sell at the central markets?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): No, not that we know…
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): The only example that I am familiar with, is when vendors transport fish to sell in Port-au-Prince during the week of Easter. But it doesn’t happen all the time.
Tim: What about selling the fish in Jeremie?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):It’s too much for Jeremie.
Tim: Too far?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):No, there’s too many fish on the local market. Many go to waste.
Tim: Ok, let’s clarify. When we talk about “machann,” we refer to the women, right?
Participants: Sure, it could be any vendor. My wife, your wife, etc.
Tim: Who do you sell the most fish to?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):My wife
Tim: Your wife?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, my wife. I sell her fish and she resells them with other vendors that don’t have husbands who fish.
Tim: She provides a little credit to the other vendors?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Exactly
Tim: In general, do you first sell to your own wife?
Participants: Yes
Tim: Or perhaps, you sell to/through your daughter? Or mother?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, you sell to your kin first. Even your cousin.
Gana: Does that mean that the wife of every fishermen here sells fish?
#16/#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): The majority
Gana: Ok, I understand. I want to ask you something else of each one of you. When do you fish? Is there are specific time of the day? Early in the morning? In the afternoon?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Well, you have two options. You can choose to fish in the morning when the fish are feeding at the FAD. Or you can go in the afternoon and you’ll find different fish.
Gana: At the FAD?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes, at the FAD. There are some fishermen who fish by line during the day and others that wait until the sun sets.
Gana: Does that mean you can fish anytime during the day or night?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes, you can choose anytime.
Gana: There’s no special time to fish?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):As long as the fish are biting.
Natacha: What about when you fish with a net? Is there a time to lay the net and another time to pull in the net?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):You have to spot the fish first. They appear on the surface when they are feeding on shoals of sardines. The surface gets whipped up and turns white. That’s how you know. Then you lay you circle them with the net.
Natacha: How long do you need to wait before pulling in the net?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):You wait for the fish to struggle against the net. They get caught in the weave. Then you can pull the net into shore/on board.
30 Minit
Tim: Who does the net belong to?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):A local resident.
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): It was that man you met earlier…
Tim: How many nets are in the area?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):6 or 7
Tim: Does each net have an assigned fishing area?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):No
Tim: Can you cast the net any where you want?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):No there are certain norms to follow. If another group has a claim to a spot you have to give them priority.
Tim: What about if they are repairing their net.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Then you can take their place. For example, if they are already pulling in their catch, then you have the right to cast your net at the location. It will take them a long time to pull in their net.
Tim: You said there were 6 or 7 nets in the area?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, there are several in operation
Tim: Do all of the nets have a single owner? Or do many people share the same net?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Some people have 2 nets, one for large fish and one for sardines.
Tim: Do you use the sardines for bait or do you sell them?
Participants: Sell them
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):They use some as bait for line fishing in the deep ocean
Tim: Do people catch fish from the shore as well?
Participants: Sure
Tim: Do you have any issue with that?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):No, it’s not a problem
Tim: Even if they catch all the small fish?
Participants: (Laughter) Yes
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Haiti is not an organized country that has laws to manage fisheries. People keep the small fish they catch, even though they should really release them so the fish can mature. But when faced with hard times, people are forced to keep what they can catch. A more organized country wouldn’t allow that.
Tim: In the U.S. they would put you in prison for catching lobsters that are too small. It’s a problem for sure.
Gana: I want to return to something you said earlier about fishermen taking turns net fishing the same site… Are there any other informal rules between fishermen? Like controlling access to fishing at FADs? Or line fishing? Or fishing by lights?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):There are rules that govern FADs. Some are privately owned and you have to pay to access them. Others you have to pay an association for access. But some people cheat. They’ll fish at night to avoid paying the fee.
Gana: Ou pedi nèt
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Some of the payment systems were put in place by NGOs. They encourage people to contribute towards maintaining the FAD and covering other costs for the associations. But you don’t have 100% confidence that the money is being used for that purpose…
Gana: Ok, I understand. How much money do you make fishing? Per week? Per day?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): That depends on the fish you catch during the week. There are some fishermen that make 40-45,000 HTG in a week if they catch tuna or balawou. A large fish can sell for as much as 25,000 HTG.
Tim: What do you with such a big fish? You said that it’s hard to sell large fish…
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes, we sell them to local merchants that divide them into smaller pieces to resell.
Tim: Is there no one you can call to sell the whole fish? Like if you catch a marlin?
Participants: No
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):No, that’s our biggest problem… I want to add what he [#19] said. Yes, you might sell 25,000 – 50,000 HTG worth of fish, but you spend nearly that much on expenses.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): If not more…
35 Minit
Gana: Ok
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):You have to purchase fuel, food, fees, etc. It’s no exaggeration, you can fish with 4 people and not a single one of you takes home 1,000 HTG.
Gana: That sounds challenging.
Tim: Do you have a garden?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):No, I don’t have garden
Tim: Do you have goats?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):No goats
Tim: Do you have any other source of income?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Nothing
Tim: Only the ocean?
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Well, I have a garden, but I don’t have goats or pigs.
Tim: What about you?
#5 (Abriko, Male, 38 years, 3, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): I have a garden, but I don’t have goats nor pigs.
Tim: Who else?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): We had more, but a lot of it was lost in hurricane Matthew
Tim: You haven’t been able to replace it?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): No, not yet
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Just fishing
Tim: (Laughter) No, no. You are overrun with goats. I can see them. You let them range freely in the bush.
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Only in the countryside
Tim: Do you tie them up?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): You have to tie them or else they’ll get into other people’s gardens.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): And they’ll kill your goat
Gana: What fish brings in the most money for you?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): We already responded to that question.
Gana: No, because he [#16] just told me that you can catch a marlin that sells for some 25,000 HTG. What about dorad? How much do you sell them for?
Tim: A really large one.
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): Among all the fish, marlin fetches the highest price.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Marlin and tuna
Tim: Depending on the size?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes, it depends on the size of the fish. If I catch 10 dorad, then I will make more money than if I catch a single marlin.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):It depends on the total weight.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): And size
Gana: That means that there is not one type of fish that sells for the highest price, rather all fish bring in money according to the…
Participants: …the quantity.
Gana: Of the quantity and size?
Participants: Yes
Tim: They don’t distinguish between them to say that fish is more expensive than that one?
Participants: No
Tim: So it’s the size and quantity?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes
Tim: Ok, I want to know, among all of those different livelihoods – livestock, farming, fishing –which is most important for you?
Gana: Between fishing and livestock, what is most important in terms of income?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): They are all important. They all serve a different function. I don’t know about the other gentlemen, but in my appraisal they all have importance.
Gana: They are all important, but which one brings in the most money? Or most value?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): If I had to choose between them, then I would choose fishing. The sea is a resource that replenshes itself. It’s not like selling a goat during a time of emergency. That goat is difficult to replace. The same with a cow. If you sell a cow to pay for school fees, then it might take 2-3 years to scrape together the means to buy another. But if you sell a fish today then there’s a good chance you will catch another fish tomorrow. You can catch some 10 or 12 fish in a week.
Tim: What about in your garden? Which crop is most important? Such as yams?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): Yams and plantains
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):It’s important to note the difference between farming and fishing. Farming has seasons. Some crops take as long as one year to harvest. There are some months you don’t make any money from your garden. But fishing is something you can harvest all year. That is why we place more value in fishing than farming. Some people aren’t able to maintain a garden, because they don’t have time or money.
Gana: Ok
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Of course, if you have the means then you should maintain a garden and fish. Both are part of our livelihood strategy. If you don’t catch anything in the ocean, then you can always harvest a few yams or plantains to eat. Do you understand? It’s important that you make note of that in your report.
Gana: Yes, I follow what you are saying…
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):The two are connected. Like my friend said, you might sell a cow to pay for expenses, but fishing allows you to raise money to purchase replace that cow.
40 Minit
Gana: I see you have several different ways that you fish and that each one is used to catch different types of fish. Where do you buy the different equipment you use to fish?
Tim: Yes, we were talking about that when you were on the telephone…
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): We purchase our fishing gear directly from the store. We receive subsidies from Food for the Poor to purchase equipment and supplies. They provided the boats, fishing line, hooks and other things we needed to fish. Food for the Poor have supported us immensely.
Gana: Do you purchase them yourselves or…
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): No, we send money with family or friends to Port-au-Prince to purchase them. Or sometimes people will purchase supplies in quantity to resell here.
Tim: Do you catch anything else in the sea? Such as eel or lobster?
Participants: (Laughter) Yes, you find those in the oceas as well.
Tim: Who buys them?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Fishing has suffered since Matthew. There are some species, like eel, that became harder to find in the commune of Abriko. The fishermen in Abriko have suffered a lot. Sometimes we don’t catch anything.
Gana: How do you cope?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):It’s hasn’t been easy. We lost our livestock, our gardens were destroyed, our canoes wrecked, our nets were lost, everything was ruined. We hardly have any resources left in the months after the hurricane. Then nearly one year later, Food for the Poor donated 4 motors. It provided relief, but we still are seeking a long-term solution. People struggle to pay school fees or repair their homes.
Tim: OK. Do you still fish for eel?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes
Gana: Every fishermen fishes for eel?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): No, not every fisherman
Tim: But at the moment there aren’t any?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):No, none at all.
Tim: What would you do if you found some?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):When you catch eel you weigh it. Then you can sell it for a little money.
Tim: Who buys eel?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Vendors
Tim: Are there special vendors that deal in eel?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Let me explain, line fishing for eel is an activity that we do not do at the FAD. You have to be very patient to catch eels, but it’s worth it because of the price it fetches. Eels are active at night. If you want to catch them you have to wake up early. I would wake up at 2am in the mornig to catch 3,4,5,6 – 10 grams. Now if I caught 10 “gram” eels in a night I could make 700 dola (3,500 HTG), but it’s not easy…
Gana: 700 Haitian dola?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes.
Gana: Ok
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Not everyone knows how to fish for eel. The majority of youth today no longer know the secrets of the sea (“afè lamè”). Many of them have left the countryside and don’t know how to make a living fishing.
Tim: Where do you find eels? Are they in deep water?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): They are closer to shore. They live in tunnels [in the reef].
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):At least half a meter down.
Tim: A half-meter? Is that where you generally find them?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Exactly.
Tim: Look, let me change the subject a little. When I visit other places they always tell me if you need a “bwa fouye” that Abriko is the place to get it.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade): It was, but after Hurricane Matthew it’s hard to come by…
Tim: You can’t find any or you don’t have any wood to make it?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Destroyed…
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): There’s no wood for it.
Tim: In the past, did you make a lot?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Sure
45 Minit
Tim: Do you have any examples?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):If we could we would offer you a beautiful abriko fruit to eat.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): We were speaking about who buys…
Gana: Who buys the eels you catch?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Oh, people like me
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): Some come from Port-au-Prince, but most are local entrepreneurs.
Tim: They come once there’s a sufficient quantity to sell?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): As soon as the fishermen come back from sea. They weigh the catch and sell it.
Tim: Is eel the only thing that they come to buy? They don’t buy fish?
Participants: No, only eel.
Tim: Only eel? Does anyone buy lobster?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Rarely. It happened more in the past.
Gana: Does anyone fish for conch?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, but mostly in the 1st communal section of Abriko. There are
Gana: Does that mean there are people who specialize in conch?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):There are a few people that mainly fish for conch and lobster
Gana: But you don’t fish [for conch?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): No
Natacha: Are there different types of nets for fish?
Participants: Yes
Natacha: How many types of nets do you use?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):We had several types, but lost them in the hurricane
Natacha: What are they called?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):There are simple nets, blue nets, seine nets, “3 nap” (literally 3 sheets), “pase” net
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): “3 nap” has several “nap”
Gamna: Several layers?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes
Natacha: Does that mean there is a special net to catch eels?
Participants: You can catch it with a mosquito net.
Tim: Does that work the same way as a seine net?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes, but the weave is much smaller
Tim: How many people are required [to fish with a seine net]?
Participants: 2 people
Gana: Do eels impact fishing? Ok, but does catching eels have and impact on other fishing around here?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):There was someone working here named Bernard Chevrett. He explained that eels chase the fish out of their hiding places in the reef and he warned against catching too many eels…
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): But we’re not sure if it’s true or not. There are fish that eat sardines and larger fish that eat bonito. Everything is connected in a food chain.
Gana: There’s a season/order?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes, the big fish eat the small fish
Gana: During the season for eels, do you still find other fish? Or are there fewer fish during that period?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): It varies, but you can still find other fish
Gana: So they coexist?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Right. What makes me say that is that there used to be more fish, but since the departure of eels the fish population has declined.
Gana: Now there are are less eels and fish?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes. I don’t know if it’s because they caught too many, but that’s how it appears…
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Sometimes when fishing at the FAD, we see bonito. It appears they are hunting eels.
Tim: Do you see eels at the FAD?
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): No, the bonito come to the FAD to eat the other fish that gather there.
Gana: Do you think the eels attract/chase the other fish there?
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Yes
Gana: So if the eels disappear, then the there will be less fish?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes
Tim: Are you certain?
Participants: No, we don’t know…
Tim: You’re saying it’s possible, but you don’t know for sure?
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Since we set up the FAD there have been a lot of Bonito that have come to feed. It has created a planton (ecosystem?) that attracts fish. The eels frequent the area as well.
50 Minit
Tim: In your lifetime, do you feel like the number of fish have declined since you were a child?
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Definitely, there is a less than when I was a child.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): There are less fish in the sea.
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): I used to spearfish.
Tim: You dove?
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): I dove down in the water to spearfish
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):I selected them by size
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): I speared the largest fish
Tim: You chose what you wanted?
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Yes, but now that’s not possible
Natacha: Were there more eels when you were young?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, but people didn’t think to catch them
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): They didn’t catch them because there was no market to sell them. Sometimes the current would strand them on the shore and you could collect them.
Tim: Do you find them in fresh water too?
Participants: Yes, they enter fresh water
Tim: We haven’t talked about diving until now. Is diving not one of your methods of fishing?
Tim: Do you have a compressor? (spear gun or air compressor?)
#16/#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): No, we don’t have one.
Tim: Does that mean you don’t dive?
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): I used to a long time ago to support my 7 children…but I have reached an age where it is too difficult. You need the equipment and you need to be in shape. I can’t dive as deep as I used to or spend a long time underwater any more.
Tim: Are there other youth that do it today?
Participants: There are a ton of youth.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes, there are several in the locality.
Tim: Does it bring in money?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):For sure, it’s a source of income
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):At least 20%
Tim: 20%?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes
Tim: Spearfishing accounts for 20% of the weight of all the fish you catch?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, from spearfishing
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): That’s how most people catch lobster
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):But if the water is stirred up it’s difficult to catch anything
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Sometimes you encounter 4, 5 or 6 lobsters, all walking in a line
Tim: (Laughter) I’ve heard of that.
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): You don’t see that any more. The country has fallen on hard times.
Gana: But now there is a market for eels. What is more profitable, fishing or catching eels?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Eels are more profitable at the moment.
Gana: Eels are more profitable?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): For the people that can catch them.
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Sometimes when you go out at night, you encounter lots of other people, one on top of each other, all trying to catch eels.
Gana: Yes, I’ve heard that before.
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): There are people that come down from the river.
Tim: Are these outsiders?
Participants: Yes
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): There are many people from the countryside that have taken it up
Gana: Including people from the 4th communal section…
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes, they make up the majority of the [eel fishermen]
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):But they come from all over. Some 10% are from city/Jeremy.
Tim: Are they foreigners?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Even 10% is too many!
Tim: 10%?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):The proportion of people who come from the city.
Tim: When we conduct focus groups with people in the countryside, they always complain that they can’t find any workers because everyone has gone to fish for eels! (Laughter).
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):It wouldn’t be a problem if they didn’t bother us…
Tim: They bother you?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes, like when we are sleeping.
Tim: They make noise?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):They make noise. They make trouble.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): They’re poorly raised.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):They cuss and fight amongst themselves. Many things.
#18 (Abriko, Male, 34 years, Teacher, Goat Farmer , 3rd Grade): It started after the hurricane, people from the countryside started to come here to fish for eels.
Tim: They had to make a living.
#18 (Abriko, Male, 34 years, Teacher, Goat Farmer , 3rd Grade): They had no other choice, they were left with nothing. People from along the river and coast came to fish for eels after Matthew. They heard that you could make 40 or 50 dola (200-250 HTG) in a day. Initially they payed 4 HTG per gram, but now it’s more than 70 dola (350 HTG).
Tim: What!? Per gram?
#18 (Abriko, Male, 34 years, Teacher, Goat Farmer , 3rd Grade): Per gram
Tim: Wow!
Gana : 70 Haitian dola?
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Yes
Natacha: I know all of you are fishermen, but is there anyone among you that would prefer to do something else besides fishing?
Natacha: Do you see it as your profession? Or just the product of your situation?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): That’s a good question. In Haiti, people don’t always [have the luxury to] choose a vocation.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): It’s just the situation that you are born into.
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): You do it in order to provide for yourself. It’s true for other professions as well. There are many carpenters that don’t want to be carpenters…maybe they really want to be engineers or doctors.
55 Minit
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):But they have to make the best of their situation…
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): Their mother couldn’t send teach them something different and their father couldn’t do anything else, so they had no other option but to follow the same path. Many people who fish don’t do it as a vocation. They just see it as a way to make money. As a result, they never learn the trade, like how to select and tie the right hook. So they are relegated to working for other people. For example, if I make 1000 HTG, then I might give them 200 HTG. If they stick with it then they will learn and make more money, but not everyone does.
Tim: He doesn’t know what he is doing?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): He comes to fish, but he is not a fishermen.
Natacha: What about you? If you are not a fishermen, then what are you?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): Me?
Participants: (Laughter)
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): At my age it’s a little late to learn something new…
Participants: (Laughter)
Gana: Are there any fisherwomen in the community?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): That’s a good question. You might find them in Jeremie or Port-au-Prince. I have seen them when I left the town. I left when I was 20 years old. After 5 years I returned.
Gana: So there are no women who fish in the area?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): No not here
Tim: There are no women that captain canoes?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):No
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): No, none of them own canoes.
Tim: What about nets?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):You said something that caught my attention about choosing a profession… It’s not our fault or our parents’ fault. You can’t criticize mothers and fathers for not sending their children to school. My parents sent me to school, but I used to run away. I would hide behind the rocks and fish with a little line. They would come looking for me, calling my name. But I would stay hidden because I knew my dad would spank me. Ever since I was young I liked casting a line for fish.
Tim: You were after a large balawou! What did you catch?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):“Ti teta”
Participants: (Laughter)
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): “Batakòl”
Tim: Ti teta?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Batakòl is a type of fish. He’s right it’s not a vocation, just something we picked up.
Gana: That you chose?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Not really. It was poverty that drove us to fishing. That was the best option to earn money. You might find a job working for somebody else, but that’s not always steady work. You also have to wait 15 days before they pay you.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): So you choose to do what is easiest instead.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):You get to be your own boss when you fish. God decides what you catch. There is no one else to order you around or take advantage you.
#18 (Abriko, Male, 34 years, Teacher, Goat Farmer , 3rd Grade): You work for youself
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):That independence drew us to fishing
Gana: A final question, if you had to ask for assistance, what would choose: support for fishing or support for your farm?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):I would choose both of them!
Tim: (Laughter) You can only choose one!
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Fishing
Tim: What would you choose? Fishing? Garden? Or livestock?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Fishing
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): I would choose my garden
Tim: Your garden?
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): A garden gives you the best chance to be self-sufficient, especially at my [advanced] age. What we need most is a service to provide agricultural credit.
Tim: And you?
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): For me, my place is at sea. I like it too much to give it up. I ask God that he let the sea be my final resting place (Laughter). I would prefer not to die on land.
Tim: (Laughter)
#15 (Abriko, Male, 53 years, 7 , Fisherman, Farmer, 8th Grade): I have to give up fishing, because that way of life is getting me down.
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): I disagree. Even after all the expenses, you have a good chance to take home 100 dola (500 HTG) fishing everyday. While you can only harvest yam or plantains once a year.
60 Minit
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):You can make money fishing everyday.
#20 (Abriko, Male, 49 years, 7, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): Everyone has their own priorities, but for me the sea is the most important resource.
Tim: Number 5, what would you choose?
#5 (Abriko, Male, 38 years, 3, Fisherman, Farmer, No Education): The sea is something that I value a great deal. I like my garden as well. But if I had to choose, it would be the sea… I’ll give you a personal example, I might spend 1,500 HTG on petrol when I go out to fish. Even if I don’t catch a single bonito and lose money, I would still return the again and again because the sea is my domain. I can’t give it up, even if it drives me into debt…
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): Because you can make it up in a single good day of fishing.
Natacha: You place faith in it
Participants: Yes
Tim: You?
Unidentified Participant: I love the ocean so much. I love it as much as laying with my wife! (Laughter) I have 7 children. I was able to raise all of them on what the sea provided. It’s sent them to school. They are too young to help me fish, but I plan to teach them when they come of age. I am very grateful.
Tim: Number 18?
#18 (Abriko, Male, 34 years, Teacher, Goat Farmer , 3rd Grade): Fishing provides money and food. You can eat your catch immediately. A garden takes time to yield a harvest. You have to wait 6 months or more for it to mature. Fishing lets you take on more debt because you know that you can pay it back tomorrow.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):In a single day.
#18 (Abriko, Male, 34 years, Teacher, Goat Farmer , 3rd Grade): A single large fish can bring in 25,000 HTG. Some times of the year are better for fishing, but you can do it all year. When you plant crops, you have to wait for the rain. Farming also requires a lot of inputs. All of those reasons make fishing more profitable.
Tim: Ok let’s finish with number 19.
#19 (Abriko, Male, 35 years, 5, Fisherman, Secondary): I agree with everything they have said. Everything that I have I owe to the ocean and the good lord. Even after I went to school in Port-au-Prince for secondary school, I decided to return in order to fish for a living. And I don’t regret it for a moment.
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):I have a request. After all the things we have said and discussed, if you could provide us with something to encourage us…
Tim: For ourselves?
#16 (Abriko, Male, 32 years, 1, Fisherman, Farmer, 2nd Grade):Yes
Tim: I’ll let Gana respond.
Gana: I’ll respond, since the departure…
65 Minit
END
