Page 10 - aruba-today-20220916

Friday 16 September 2022 LOCAL
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History of fishing in Aruba

ORANJESTAD — Fishing has sometimes from 8 at night
been a family tradition for till 5 in the morning. The
ages in Aruba. Our ances- day before they prepare
tors used to fish for a living. all their fishing tools such as
Even though nowadays the Lines, lures, spears, and
you don’t see them often load their boat with fishing
we still have some passion- reels, batteries, fill the gaso-
ate fishermen on the island line tank, lights and some
that go out every day in food and beverages. For
search for fish to feed their bait he uses sardines, squid
families and serve our local and the small fish known
market. One of these fisher- in Aruba as piskechi. The
man is Gregory Wernet. have two boats they use
for fishing. ‘Virgen del Valle’
The so-called Continental which is parked at the pier
Bank between Aruba and by the Seaport and ‘Pa-
the opposite coast reaches drot’ which they have at
a depth of about 650 feet. home.
The sea is very rich in fish The fish they catch they
here. Since the time of the take home to their families
indigenous native people and they also sell it to their
fish and other sea creatures clients. Gregory is proud to
such as turtles, octopus be a fisherman. It is a hon-
squids, conch and many est and humble job but
type of crustaceans have in this branch of this indus- dragnets and canisters in ily tradition for quite a long with it he is able to feed
formed a means of subsis- try. Rancho, which stands shallow water. When fish- time and even his grand- his family even during hard
tence for the native Aru- for a shed, nowadays east ing with deep-sea lines just son Willvion of 7 years old times. It is a very dangerous
ban inhabitants. Especially Oranjestad, was the head over the bottom of the sea is following his grandfather job and you have to spend
along the west coast of quarter and remains the the boat is kept in place by steps. This is the sixth gen- many hours on the sea,
the island where the fishing fishermen’s settlement. Sa- means of a piece of rock eration of fishermen in their waiting patiently and risk-
grounds are settlements of vaneta, Noord, Santa Cruz serving as an anchor. The family. ing your life while fighting a
fishermen. Until the arrival all had their fishermen’s vil- two most important species They go deep sea fishing. big fish and big waves but
of the oil -industry Aruban lages. At a rough estimate of fish by far caught in this There they catch red snap- the adrenaline it brings with
fishermen could supply Aru- there were about a hun- manner are the pargo or per, grouper and amber- it but also just sitting there
ba’s wants. dred small fishing boats red snappers and a variety jack. They usually fish for listening to the sound of the
As a source of income, how- during that time. of groupers like the mero, 15 hours a day, but now waves and enjoying the
ever, fishing did not amount The Arubans were mainly jeanpao and the wowo di due to the covid-19 mea- marvelous view that nature
too much. In the beginning engaged in coastal fishing, boyo. surements they go fishing has to offer is all worth it. q
of the 1900’s approximately using rowing-boats or small Cruising off the coast the from 5 in the morning until
160 people earn their living sailing-boats, and lines or Aruban fisherman patient- 8 o’clock at night or even Source: Etnia Nativa
ly waits for a fish willing to
snap at the bait on the
drag-line, in nets and traps.
Veritable giants are some-
times caught. Barracudas
weigh from 9 to 44 pounds
and measure from 3 to al-
most 7 feet. The king-fish
has a weight from 22 to 44
pounds; the moclat may
tip the scales at 155, whilst
garfish, having a length of
nine feet, weigh over 132
pounds.
Most fish caught is used
for their own consumption,
to feed their families and
some are being sold in the
market to local restaurants.

Fisherman Gregory Wernet
Gregory Wernet is a well-
known fisherman from San-
ta Cruz. His father taught
him fishing when he was
a small child. Gregory has
two sons, Jordan and Jor-
danny, which he taught
fishing too, when they were
only 3 years old and he
takes them fishing with him.
Fishing has been a fam-