By Shirley Thomas

DOWLATRAM and Kumarie Persaud of Fyrish village, Corentyne, Berbice, have been engaged in the business of vending fish for the last 20 years and find so much satisfaction, they would not trade it for anything.

“My husband works at sea, so he would go out and bring in the catch, but he get so old now that he would only go out and spend about three days or so, then he would come back home. The boats come in at Albion seashore and our grandsons would go out and bring it from the wharf top and take it to house with a donkey cart,” Kumarie told the Sunday Pepperpot Magazine.

But that’s not where her work ends, in fact, it’s just but the beginning. “Then when the fish reach home, I would take over and ice it down and carry it [the catch] to market to sell,” Kumarie related, adding that all this is done within one day.

But tedious as that part may sound, it turns out it might very well be the easiest. “Well, now come time fuh sell and that is not always what you expect. Sometimes market does good and sometimes bad. But unlike the majority of vendors selling in the market place, who would see the glass as being half empty, rather than half full, or just look at the negative side, she asserts: “Some days it big and some days it very small, but whoever hear dat fisherman does ketch fish every day?” When sales not bright she has to take the fish back home and hope for the next day’s sales.

Asked on what days are sales at its peak, she replied, Mondays and Saturdays. That is because Friday is a pay day, likewise Saturday. Those who get paid on Friday would shop on Saturday, and those who get paid on Saturday might prefer to shop on Mondays and so those two days will always be brighter.

The fisherwoman recalls that there are days when some people would really want the fish but not have enough money. But winsome and compassionate, she said she would often let them have it for what they can afford, rather than take it all back home.

Banga Mary and Butter Fish
What seems most in demand is ‘Banga Mary/Butter Fish’, which is less expensive and which the greater amount of people buy, and naturally for which they have developed a taste. She observed too, that with Guyanese becoming more health conscious, more people (especially over-50) are now eating fish and focusing less on beef, chicken and red meats.
Meanwhile, on a personal basis, the family has become so health-conscious that in addition to the heightened use of fish in the home, they have a flourishing kitchen garden from which they get fresh ground provisions, fruits, as well as green and leafy vegetables to boost their health.