Nuku Hiva, 6-30-2017--Fishing

By Pearl

Fish and fishing are central features of life in the Marqueses.  Having spent this much time in Nuku Hiva, we've had a better chance to observe how important fish is in the diet and the daily routine of life in this village.  

Nearly every evening fishermen go offshore in 16-18' open boats with outboard engines. The fishing ground is several miles offshore, where a surface buoy is anchored in about 1000' of water. Attached to the buoy are several ropes with knots in them. A reef quickly begins to form on the ropes, which in turn attracts small fish. Tuna are lured to the area by the small fish.

The fishermen stop their boats upwind of the bouy, then pay out a parachute type sea anchor and set out their fishing lines. The fishing boat slowly drifts downwind past the buoy and the tuna are caught.

When I get up just at dawn I will sometimes see these boats returning with their catch.  They off-load at the dock, where tables are set up for cleaning and for selling the fish.

Also prized are small red fish called meaukua.

Although fish may be grilled or fried here, raw is clearly preferred.

Boat returning at dawn with the night's catch.

Yellow fin tuna is king.

Filleting takes no time at all.

Half a huge tuna is sold in each bag.  We've never bought any because it's way too much for us.

There are several venders cleaning and selling along the dock.

Meaukua fish off-loaded.

Meaukuas

One morning there were also octopus being tenderized and sold.

An octopus going into a bag.

The raw fish menu at one of the restaurants.  The poisson cru (French for raw fish) lait de coco is the local favorite.

A plate of poisson cru lair de coco with cooked bananas on the side.