Dec 12-The Fishermen of Lo de Marcos

Jose lives alone in a small shack on the back side of the beach.   He rolls out bed each morning at the crack of dawn.   He quickly dresses in his usual pair of shorts and tank top, shivering in the 65 degree F temperature.   One step outside and he quickly returns to his shack, searching a jacket.   Without breakfast or coffee, he lights a cigarette, and begins to prepare to go empty the net he installed the day before.

Jose's shack on the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before long other local Mexican friends of Jose arrive by bicycle, truck, or walking.   He searches in the shack for his plastic gas can, that only has about two litres of gasoline in it.   Jose installs the gas can in his beached panga, “La Bonita.”    This is an old fibreglas boat about 12 feet long, equipped with an equally old Yamaha nine horsepower motor.   A friend tells him he will go out with him and help him clear the nets.   They manually turn the boat with the bow pointing out to sea and drag it across the sand to the water’s edge.  Today the waves are rolling in and they have to time their departure just right.   Jose tells me in Spanish that after the seventh big wave there will be a lull and he waits patiently counting the big rollers.    All of a sudden he shouts “,uno, dos, tres, vamonos”, and they push the boat into the surging tide.

Getting out over the first wave can be dangerous.

Equipped with only one oar and a bailing bucket they pray that the motor will start on the first pull.   Life jackets are an unknown commodity here.   The little boat bravely mounts the incoming waves, as the bow comes out of the water, and crashes down over the crest.   Luckily, the motor fires, and they are on their way out toward their nets.

The nets, are roughly two hundred feet long, weighted with lead, and held topside by styrofoam floats.   Heavy wrought iron anchors hold the nets in place.   The location of the nets changes each day, depending on the moon, the feeding pelicans, and the movement of schools of larger fish, called “Torro”.  

The catch of the day is as varied as the placement of the nets.   Some days, after emptying the nets, Jose returns with a few small fish.   When the fishing has been good you can tell by the big smile on Jose’s face, as he beaches La Bonita.

Jose checking his small catch.

There are numerous species of fish in this part of the Pacific.    Sometimes the nets trap unusual visitors.

Small ray caught in the nets.

Jose caught this hammerhead shark in his net.

When the fishing is good big fish can be caught.   Like the “Wahoo” in the first photo and the “Rooster Fish” in the second.

This Wahoo will provide several meals.

Jose tries to take this Rooster Fish into town.

One of the most colourful fish I have seen caught by Jose is called “Parrot Fish”.  

Called Parrot Fish because of beak like mouth.

These brave souls perform the same routine 365 days a year in order to provide for the people of Lo de Marcos.   It is rare that I have seen pesos change hands as Jose willing turns the most of his daily catch to townfolk waiting on the beach.   I haven’t yet determined if he operates an “on account” system for fish taken, or whether this is a variation of a bartering system.    In other words when Jose needs something he calls on those he has given fish to.

I intend to investigate further by continuing to hit the beach by 6.30AM, and by using participant observation, determine exactly how this fish for no money system works.