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If the Polynesian's attitude to the ocean has undergone great changes since
the time of the great migrations, he has nevertheless maintained a close relationship
with the sea. The foreigner is amazed by his knowledge of the elements and
his ability to adapt to the marine world without seeking to dominate it.
These peoples have lived for centuries by drawing on the ocean for most of
their food, tools and ornaments. Today, only fishing and leisure activities
attract islanders to the sea.
Bonito fishing is the Polynesians' main activity in the open sea. Their
small boats, built locally, are as typical of Tahiti as the famous "truck",
or local bus. The bonito, which has become a symbol of the Tahitian diet, can
survive in water 300 meters deep, and the annual catch is estimated at 1 200
tones.
Tuna fishing is not so important and only involves yellow-fin tuna which
is fished from the surface by bonito fishing boats. The annual production in
Papeete is 400 tones. Two other species of tuna are found in Polynesia, the
albacore and the big-eye tuna. These are fished by small Asiatic fleets of
fishing boats who have made individual agreements with the Territory.
Other types of fishing are not specialized and are carried on according to
timeworn practices.
However, let us dwell for a moment on how marara are caught. These
flying fish, used as live bait, are taken from a special kind of fishing boat
steered by a control-handle. When the season is right, these fishermen also
capture the prized mahi mahi, or dolphin fish which can attain sizeable
proportions. From time to time the local fishermen still bring in jack, barracudas
or the delicious paru, a large red perch, which lives in the ocean depths.
Big game fishing
After the big tuna, the swordfish and marlin are the most sought-after
game fish.
Six species live in local waters, but three of them have become very rare: the
sailfish, the striped marlin and the black marlin. The blue marlin is the most
frequently caught game fish. It is very large and can weigh up to a tone,
though the average catch for Tahitians is 400 kg.
Sharks. French Polynesia has few potentially dangerous shark species
and they are not often seen.
The famous white shark, whose notoriety is worldwide, does not frequent our
waters. The tiger-shark, more common than the former, stays in deep water during
the day. This mao is encountered more frequently in the channels at night.
The biggest group known here are the grey sharks, or carcharhinus, which
can vary from the timid to the aggressive, like Longimanus which lives
a fair distance from the coast. The lemon shark, Negaprion acutidens, usually
considered to be a redoubtable species, is fairly rare, measures up to three
meters and is not aggressive. According to Polynesians, it is a timid creature unless disturbed, when it can become very
dangerous. Finally we should mention two species of hammerhead sharks, which
are theoretically harmless, and the whale shark, 20 meters long, which seems
to be indifferent to everybody. The Cetacea,24 species frequent the
Polynesian zone more or less regularly.
There are the solitary blue whales and several related groups,
spermwhales,
and dolphins.
Porpoises do not exist in our tropical waters and this name, which is often
given to Polynesian dolphins, is no doubt due to the widely held belief that
a dolphin has to be blue and white. In fact, only two of the eight species
here are this color. These mammals move about in groups offering navigators
a wonderful demonstration of acrobatics.
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