īna’a is a favorite of fishermen

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Tahiti, July 5, 2024 – These small fish have returned in large numbers to Faone, testing the skills and physical strength of generations of fishermen. With bins and coolers filled, it is an important source of income, much to the delight of fans of the famous doughnuts.

“Ina, Ina!”. In early July, they were everywhere, sold in bags on the roadside and chirping loudly through the neighborhoods. On Friday morning, a new wave of the prized fry arrived, just in time for the weekend. The mouth of the Vai’iha River in Faaone was teeming with these tiny fish, served with fritters or sprinkled with coconut milk. There were so many of them that they wormed their way to the beach.

From father to son

Alfred Teiho, 72, noticed the birds and simply raised his landing net and followed the waves. “Now, it happens here. Other times, it’s at home, in Papineau or Mahaena. This is the third day in a row that we come to Faone to fish: the season has arrived! I’m here with my wife, my son and my mo’otua. It’s been my job since I finished working in Moruroa in 1983. My father taught me how to fish and I teach my 12-year-old son too. He enjoys keeping us company. It’s good because it’s the first day of vacation!”making the father of the whole family happy.

In the 4×4 bed, the large cooler and three dump boxes were overflowing. There was no point in continuing to fish. “That’s enough for today.”” commented Sidonie Tahoe. “We called one of Matayea’s nephews and asked him to give him the extra money so it wouldn’t go to waste. Once it was over, we went back to clean it, removing as much sand as possible, and then started selling it directly to us for 200 francs per bowl.”.

Hundreds of kilograms

In the river, the Tinorua family used nets to collect the fish they caught into makeshift pens. As his father, Jean, passed on his expertise to him since childhood, looked on, Tirape coordinated the transfer on the beach. It was a delicate and athletic step, as it required lifting dozens of kilograms out of the water using only the strength of his arms and back. “We arrived from Mahaena at around 6:30 in the morning. It was my brother who saw the īna’a when he went fishing in the evening. It was a team effort between the divers and the people pulling the nets. This year, it was the best fishing we’ve had! After three hours, the bins were full. I think we caught 300 to 400 kilos. We will sell them all over Tahiti and sometimes as far away as Moorea. When the fishing is good, the money is good and provides a good extra income for everyone””, confided the 34-year-old.

Fred Amini, a fisherman from Faaone, arrived in the morning and thought the fish “The Lord’s” And it is necessary “Play games and share”: “When this is our place, we have to accept other fishermen coming, just as they have to accept us coming to their place.” This default principle does not apply in all areas, but on that day, there was a clear need for sharing among the different families present.