Flying fish return to St Lucia

St Lucian fishermen have started catching flying fish for the first time in years which means some of them will earn well out of it.

Fishers of Choiseul have been catching flying fish, which had largely disappeared from St Lucia's waters for over a decade, for two weeks now.

Gros Islet fishers made a major catch of about 5,000 which sold off in short order. According to the Choiseul fishers, they have not yet made a major catch, but they expect to do so in the upcoming weeks. They made their first catch a few days after the major catch in Gros Islet.

Fisher Guy Phillips said: “We expect to make some big catches soon. Things are picking up. We never have enough flying fish to sell to the public. Every day people are asking for flying fish. It’s flying fish people want.”

According to Phillips, any fisherman who can make a few big catches of the coveted flying fish will become rich. Another fisher said: “Flying fish is coming back and it’s a good thing for us.” He said fishers also burn less gas fishing for flying fish than other fishes.

The disappearance of flying fish from St Lucia is thought to be related to the prevalence of sargassum seaweed in the water, which disrupts their habitat.