Fishing to Survive
46-year-old Eliecer Lopez is a Nosareño. He is only one of more than 12 fishermen in Pelada. He has been artisanal fishing over 20 years on his own boat and has been working on the fishing boats ever since he was a child.
“It went very bad today. Only 10 or 12 small fish… That is very bad,” he said. They kept the fish for personal consumption. On a good day of fishing, it is possible to catch 20 to 40 kilograms of fish. At those times, Lopez and Mejia sell most of it to the local restaurants. Depending on the season, Lopez fishes two or three weeks a month. When fishing is not good enough, he works at the constructions and agriculture.
Despite all the difficulties of fishing on his family and himself, Lopez can’t see himself doing anything else. “If I were to be born again, I would love to continue fishing. It is not that great but I love it. It is almost like an addiction.”
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