Traditions

Mazatlan’s fishing tradition; the arrival of the Pajarito at Deer Island

Text and Photos: Alwin A. K. van der Heiden

During the month of May the majority of the Mazatleco fishermen anxiously await the arrival of the little fish known as “pajarito” (Hyporhamphus spp).  Thousands of fish make their annual appearance in our bay among Deer, Wolf and Bird Islands. An interesting comment of a local fisherman follows “this tradition, has been practiced for more than 50 years in our bay, so to me, this event must remain for the coming generations, to practice it, and to see it”. “This fish is the town’s food, and everyone eats it with pleasure, during this season”.

The Pajarito is a small fish easily identified by its half-mouth: the lower jaw is long with a reddish-colored point while the upper jaw is much shorter. This fish can measure up to 20 centimeters in length.  Its range is from Santa Ana, Southern California to Costa Rica. The fish travel in enormous schools and search for tranquil waters in order to spawn. The depth, currents, water temperature and the sandy bottom at Deer Island provide optimal ecological conditions for spawning. Deer Island is a calm and protected place, which is also conducive to catching these fish, even though swells can prevail throughout May.

Fisherman at North Beach (Playa Norte)

The fishermen arrive at the North Beach jetty a few hours before dusk.   Each boat or “panga” can take 5 to 8 fishermen as a maximum, and each person must carry out a particular function. We, along with many other boats departed just before dark and navigated towards the optimal fishing spot. The route from North Beach to Deer Island takes about 40 minutes.  From the Malecon we could see the lights of the boats that are fishing at Deer Island. To me the lights resembled a tiny, floating city. We were surrounded by over 50 boats that were gathered that night, and it was obvious that the majority of the fishermen knew each other.

After anchoring, we placed two pairs of neon lights at both starboard and port to attract the pajaritos.  As the fish came up to the surface, the fishermen became louder and more excited and tried to catch as much fish as possible in short period of time.  There was a frenzied feeling of excitement in the air and I could hear the sound of launching nets everywhere. At times, there was such an abundance of fish on the surface of the water it seemed to be boiling. The reflections of light and thousands of fish gave the water a brilliant tone and it sparkled with color.  Some of the fishermen, with the aid of buckets, managed to capture large quantities of fish without nets.

I observed a young fisherman throw his net but was not able to get it back due to such an abundance of fish.  Only with the help of his buddy could they bring in their catch.  The net had contained over 60 kilos! After a frantic, adrenaline-filled hour passed it was difficult to believe that the compartments of our boat were brimming.   Someone then shouted “We have more than a ton and a half; it’s time to sell them. “.  Two hours after our return every pajarito was sold and the boat was completely empty and clean.

The local people soon arrived with buckets and coolers to buy the freshly caught fish. Usually if the resource abounds, the bucket is sold at 20 to 30 pesos, and it contains 20 kilos of fish. So, this gives you an idea of the feast that you can have with one just one bucket of fish.

Year after year the fishermen of North Beach (Playa Norte) enjoy seeing  their friends and family waiting with anticipation  on the beach or jetty to see their boats return full of fresh fish. To fish “pajarito” is not simply a unique and beautiful tradition that in spite of the passing years still remains; it’s a big family party as well.   This particular fish needs to find safe areas to gather and be able to spawn and this is why Deer Island plays such an important role in the reproductive success of the species. We must not forget that the massive arrival denotes reproduction of this particular fish. To preserve this fishing tradition will definitely depend on the way the management of this particular fishery and the caring of the spawning areas. We must think about the future, and not take all there is now. It’s also important to take into consideration protection measures to avoid over-exploiting this valuable resource.  Unfortunately, if strict measures are not placed on numbers of boats fishing and quantities of fish caught there is a probability that a collapse may occur with this fish as has happened with so many others. It’s also critical for the implementation and adaptation of septic tanks at the installations located at Deer Island as it’s also a destination that is visited by hundreds of tourists every year.