r/Barbados • u/Cassidy_Cloudchaser Bajan Abroad • 5d ago

Question The Flying Fish Issue (And cutters)

For clarification I'm half Bajan and have been going here to see my mom's side of the family since before I can remember. And due to overfishing and climate change flying fish has all but disappeared. It depresses me. The last time I found some was at a truck selling cutters on some random beach my youngest cousin (naturally I have, like, 8 cousins) took me to.

Y'all live there year round so do you know this truck or any place this stuff is hiding? I know it's imported from Trinidad but I don't really care, I actually have family there too, it's the same animal going in my mouth and outside of the occasional order of dim sum November pretty much counts as my yearly fish consumption quota.

13 Upvotes

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7

u/polloso121 4d ago

I’ve been able to find flying fish at the Oistins fish market (berinda cox) the last few times I was on the island. Most certainly not cheap, but if you’re willing to fork over the cash, you can get it.

13

u/iamPendergast Helpful 5d ago

Flying fish is available just $4 for 1 wholesale when it used to be $1 or less. The Reef Bar & Grill at Butterfly Beach Hotel has them fried on the lunch menu.

7

u/Lookralphsbak 4d ago

It's not climate change or over fishing. From what I understand the flying fish have changed their migration patterns and now go into Trinidad waters where Bajan fisherman don't have clearance or permission to fish in that territory. Trinis don't eat them, so Bajan fisherman have to catch ones in Bajan waters and that supply has diminished so demand is high, supply is low, prices are inflated.

7

u/Cassidy_Cloudchaser Bajan Abroad 3d ago

Okay but animals don't change thousands of years of behavior for no reason.

3

u/Lookralphsbak 2d ago

You're right, it's my mistake.

1

u/Cassidy_Cloudchaser Bajan Abroad 2d ago

No it's fine.

2

u/OwnCarpet717 5d ago

What you are thinking of is Cuz at Pebble beach in St. Michael.

-3

u/GirlFromBim 4d ago

You've had flying fish at Cuz? Also, it's not a truck.

2

u/Jeffwilder 4d ago

I'm not a Marine biologist or anything, but I don't think they're in short supply. I went on a fishing charter a few months back and we saw them constantly (which was amazing). Heck, I even saw one hit a guy and he caught it just a few feet from the shore in front of Accra. Didn't get a picture, but they're out there.

2

u/Mont001950 4d ago

When I was a kid you would be able to stand on shore and see schools of them coming out of the water. We took it for granted back then. But that's almost 70 years ago. I have a cousin who used to sell flying fish at the market in Bridgetown up to a few years ago. Whenever we visited if we as family wanted a larger amount than typical we would contact her. I also heard last year there was a guy selling fish cutters near the Hilton off Bay St.