I love markets … particularly those with great photo opportunities. Patterns, colours, activity, smiling faces... all so photogenic. I remember visiting the Kendari fish market when I taught at Haluoleo University close to 20 years ago. At that time I remember being amazed at the diversity of fish (in terms of species, size, colours, etc.) for sale!
Yesterday my friend Dr. Andi Khaeruni from UNHALU offered to take me to the main fish market as I was curious to see how it had changed in almost 20 years. I was pleased to see that most of the species that I remember seeing years ago were still there (a notable no show was the lobster).
It is important to note that fish is the key source of protein for many Indonesians. It is cheaper than meat and easily accessible. At least it has been. Some species have increased in cost about 30x in the past 10 years making it difficult for some locals to buy fish.
There were some key differences from 20 years ago when it comes to meeting the demand for fresh fish:- Fishermen have to travel much longer distances to catch the fish
- Fishermen have to use a lot more fuel to travel these distances
- The fishermen are greater risk of mishap at sea as they take their smaller boats further distances
- Some fishermen have shifted to using larger boats… which adds safety and also increases the distance they can travel (and can bring back more fish)
Another difference is that some of the fish being sold is farmed fish. Yes, there are fish farms in Indonesia… and lots of them. Indonesia exports shrimp, fish and seaweed and the government last year indicated its intention to “make Indonesia the world’s leading fish producer by 2015 and have thus targeted fantastic fish production levels every year”. They plan to do this through traditional fishing and aquaculture. See my previous post ‘Fish Farming – How to Feed the Planet!?’ to see some thoughts on that.
I spent over an hour walking through the stalls and couldn’t walk too far without hearing the phrase that brings back so many memories from my earlier trips to Indonesia… ‘Hello Misterrrrrrrrrrr’.
Indonesians have an amazing r-roll that would make a Spanish ‘r’ seem typical of the Queen's English. That Hello Misterrrrr phrase it one that puts a smile on my face whenever I hear it ... whether it is a small kid in the street or a grown man shopping with his wife at the Kendari Fish Market!
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| Hello Misterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr :) |
