(Oranjestad)—This past Saturday, local fishermen gathered at the Center for Fishing Hadicurari (Centro di Pesca Hadicurari) in Palm Beach, where 42 boats competed to see who can catch the biggest fish. With a total of 1045.4 kilos of fish caught, this day saw immense dedication and love what has always been a fundamental aspect of the Aruban culture.
The competition started in the middle of the night, where fishermen started reporting their departure from piers all over the island. From 11 am, tents were set up at the fishing center and visitors arrived to enjoy the food, music and overall vibe of the spectacular event. At the same time, the first few boats starting coming in to weigh their catch.
By 2 pm, fishermen crowded the center with their buckets of fish, weighing their biggest fish and taking pictures of their catch. Winners were announced at 5 pm sharp. The competition had a wide range of categories, from biggest types of fish caught, to categories specific to smaller and larger boats.
The biggest Dorado/Mahi Mahi caught weighed 12.2 kilos and was caught by the Driftwood Fishing Team. The biggest Tuna caught weighed at 9.3 kilos—breaking the scale—and the category was won by Bloemond boys.
Team Techi Boys snagged the prize for biggest fish caught in the entire competition when they presented a Cubera Snapper weighing at a whopping 22.9 kilos. This super team also won the prize for greater weight in the big boat category, winning first place with a total of 138 kilos of fish caught. Second place went to STC Boys with a total of 126.8 kilos, and third place went to Bloemond Boys with 77.9 kilos of fish caught in total.
This tournament not only showcased the hard work that fishermen do out in the open ocean, but also proved that the fishing culture is very much alive on Aruba. Under the leadership of long-time fishermen, we see how the younger generation is carrying this tradition into the future, making sure that the fishing sector on the island keeps thriving.
Some pictures are from the Center of Fishing Foundation Hadicurari (Fundacion Centro di Pesca Hadicurari).
