It Takes a Village to Catch a Fish

From the back deck on Motivator we noticed a commotion in the anchorage off Ste. Anne, Martinique.

Off in the distance, boats were deploying nets suspended from buoys.

Two boats started pulling the net towards shore.  The boat in the foreground was struggling and occasionally conked out.

A third boat helped divers tend to the net.

Communication between the boats was accomplished via holding plates up in the air.

We were not sure what one plate and a stick meant.

In the process, two cruiser boats were displaced and had to re-anchor.

As the boats towing the net approached the shore, the divers were picked up by their chase boats.

People from the village and even a cruiser took over for the tow boats and started pulling in the net.

The fish were collected as the net was pulled to shore.