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Rapids in the upper Essequibo, draining north from the Guayana Shield. A Waiwai man is taking aim at a fish

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Dinesh ^club

Fish are a primary staple. They are so abundant in the lakes that in half a day two men with bows and arrows can fill a canoe to the point of capsizing. One such catch contained 80 fish of 20 different species. Weirs and traps are also employed, and dams are built to create ponds of still water that is poisoned by immersion of crushed vines containing rotenone, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotenone which stupifies or kills the fish. Fish are surrounded by numerous taboos; for example, they may not be cooked, eaten, or even touched by a menstruating woman. page 49

Several methods of fishing are employed, depending on circumstances. They include diving and catching with bare hands, harpooning, hook and line, trapping, netting, and poisoning. The latter is community activity; otherwise fishing is done by men and boys. ~ Page 61

Fishing is also done with the bow and arrow. It is relied upon mostly in the dry season when the fish concentrates in the shrinking lakes and streams and the water is more transparent so that the target is more easily visible. Only four of the numerous species potentially available are usually caught. A common technique is to drop fruits into the water and shoot the fish as it surfaces to eat the bait. A man may obtain up to a dozen fish a day in this way. ~ Page 81

2 years ago. Edited 2 years ago.

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