Once feared, tilapia now welcomed in Crooked Tree
Several years ago when a small number of tilapia infiltrated the Crooked Tree Lagoon from nearby fish farms, there were fears of ecological disaster; that the hardy and aggressive foreigners would displace the native species and put an end to the small, but crucial local fishing industry. But those fears never materialised and today instead of being reviled, the tilapia is celebrated. Jacqueline Woods reports.
Along the banks of the crooked tree lagoon, there was a mad rush for Tilapia after a couple of fishermen pulled their net and wound up with a dory full of fish. The marine specie has become quite popular…so much so that it prompted the community to hold the first ever Tilapia Festival.
Jacqueline Woods
“Some eight years after the Tilapia fish was first detected in the Crooked Tree Lagoon, the water is now teeming with the fish. Today it is considered one of the most famous dishes among the seven hundred and fifty people who inhabit Crooked Tree Village. However, the villagers say in the beginning there were some serious concerns.”
Donald Tillett, Chairman, Crooked Tree Village
“The original concerns about the fish when it first came into the water, was that they were eating out all the fishes and we won’t have any of our local fishes. But we have proved that is so negative, because even while we were trying to catch fish, the tilapias with the smaller fishes the belam, which we usually catch the fish with, they would never take our lines. And so that has proven that these fish are not cannibals as what they call them, that they would eat the other local fishes. These fishes eat only the vegetation that our fishes eat. But what happen is that these fishes are very territorial and they would go and take a place and no other fish would be able to move them. So that’s the reason why the population is growing so strong.
But we have noticed that the local fish, the population is not going down. Because we have a system, which we call bucket testing that was implemented through the Belize Audubon. When the fishermen would haul the net we would take a sample, take a pigtail bucket, fill it up at random with fishes and then we count the amount of tilapias to the amount of local fishes. It has proven that, yes, it is there, but it’s coming in the third rank, not the number one.”
While the fish may not be predominant, many people are craving for a bite and it was that desire that drove people from across the country to the village on Saturday.
Lincoln Jones, Resident, Belize City
“It’s the first time, and the seasoning is good. This is good.”
“I went to the track this morning, I do a couple laps, prepared for the special food.”
Jacqueline Woods
“I notice you get a big serving of the tilapia and look like you finish it in no time. How it taste?”
Lincoln Jones
“Very good. I wish I get a bigger one than this one; I would definitely handle it. But there is no hope, so I got to satisfy with this.”
Lincoln Jones certainly enjoyed his fried fish, but as we found out, the seafood can be tastefully prepared in different ways.
Ava Tillett, Cook, Crooked Tree Village
“Well to me the way I like it the best is when you filet it or you bake it with vegetables or even hash it. Or you could prepare it and eat it with corn tortilla or flour tortilla.”
“At first people didn’t use to like it. But because of the vegetation that they are eating now, they change the soft flavouring taste that they used to have; now they have a hard taste. They almost taste like our own local crana.”
“This fish they come down here in our lagoon, because our lagoon is like a basin from Black Creek and Spanish Creek, so they are right here in our lagoon.”
We did manage to find one man whose tastes ran to something more exotic…a plate full of iguana eggs.
Jacqueline Woods
“How it taste?”
Karl Vernon, Resident, Lord’s Bank Village
“It’s most marvellous. Beautiful I have to say.”
Jacqueline Woods
“How it taste, like boil egg?”
Karl Vernon
“Yes. Want to try one? It’s very delicious. Tek anyone you like.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Trust me guys, this is the first time I’m going to try this.”
(Jackie tries to bite egg)
Jacqueline Woods
“I can’t bit into it though? It kinda hard.”
Karl Vernon
“Bite the pint (end) man, bite the pint and mek a hole in it. Now squeeze it out.”
Jacqueline Woods
“It noh taste too bad you noh, but just the thought that I’m eating an iguana egg, I think that dah weh got me kinda nervous.”
The Tilapia Festival, like its older cousin, the Cashew Festival, was held on the banks of the Crooked Tree Lagoon. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.
There are plans to make the Tilapia Festival an annual event.
