Eating in Curacao

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bkpix

Contributor
Messages
200
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Location
Las Vegas, NV
# of dives
500 - 999
We will be taking off for our 2nd Curacao trip soon. Obviously, we had a great time the 1st time or we would not be going back. We will be staying in Westpunt.

Our first trip we were not able to find a good fish market. Tried the fishermen at the fishing dock; and they were mostly not interested in selling except to the locals. They also had a pretty strange assortment of fish, mostly Baracuda from what I could see. We went to the floating market in Williamstad one day and got some Grouper. It was fair, but the boat people haven't figured out the marvels of keeping fish fresh with ice. I suppose it would actually take quite a bit of ice to keep fish fresh all the way from the mainland. The main effect of that was the fish was not so good.

We love fresh seafood, being from the desert we try to eat our fill of it when on island vacations since we don't get anyting too fresh at home. We asked a couple of people at the dive shop about where to get fresh lobster etc. and they didn't really have any advice.

So, do any of you out there have any helpful clues? Sunshine, I bet you know some places; but it is possible they are just commercial I suppose.

Your input, as always, is greatly appreciated.
 
Excuse me while I get on a soapbox for a moment. As much as I used to enjoy getting fresh local fish on Caribbean trips, I came to realize that many of the reef fish we enjoy eating, most notably Grouper, are very overfished, resulting in all kinds of problems. Therefore, I avoid eating Grouper and Snapper.

I will eat Mahi Mahi, Swordfish and Hogfish.

Eat all the lionfish you can.

See:

All Regions Guide - Online Seafood Watch Guide for Sustainable Seafood Choices | Monterey Bay Aquarium

National Guide | Food & Water Watch

Okay, putting the soapbox away. I believe Centrum market often has fresh fish Thursday. You can also send a PM to Sunshine if she doesn't chime in, and she could give you the rundown on where and when to get fresh fish.

Have a gteat trip.
 
The fish from the foating market isn't fresh.
A lot of the local fisherman take home a part of their catch and sell the rest to friends and relatives. Only the better fisherman can catch more than that and they sell it to restaurants or along the road. These men go out further at sea and come back with open see fish like dorado.

So, look for a soapbox or the back of a truck along the road en check out the freshness.

At Piscadera Bay there is the restaurant Awa Di Playa with fresh fish in a simple setting. Next to Breezes are 2 places: Surf & Turf, next to the Dive Bus hut and nextdoor is Seaside Terrace.
All three are for uncomplicated outdoor eating with a view at the ocean.
 
Since you'll be staying in Westpunt..... I asked one of David's MTB riders if his Dad ever took out tourists and he said no. I asked if he ever sold his catch and he said sometimes. I can make inquiries once you get here. We did have a guest who went out with one of the locals one morning. He did catch fish but said due to the language barrier it was a very quiet morning. Jerry of Yuana Blou lives on the street. He often takes out fishing groups and if they catch a lot comes around to sell their 'catch of the day". Again, I can inquire when you get here or you might want to spend a morning on the sea instead of under it. We can talk and get one of the boys to help negotiate with you.
 
thanks JD, please as you dive consider be more eco friendly when dining..Grouper is a real eco no no. I didn't know either and loved to dine on Grouper..never ever again. I love Mahi Mahi and it's plentiful and reproduces fast. Jerry Ligon taught me all I know..he is wonderful (Sand Dollar Dive).
 
Ann: I haven't had grouper for several years now, since learning about the issue. I have met Jerry on Bonaire. As you know, he is a marine biologist. The following is from him. You may have seen it before:

[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]"Divers should not order grouper--ever! The farmed grouper they say they serve is typically from the Far-East and comes from grow-out cages that float around in bays and inlets. The fish are grown out starting as juveniles. The juveniles are supplied to the grow-out operators by fisherman that specialize in the harvest of these fish from reefs far from where the grow out pens are located, (for example harvested in the Philippines and transported to grow-out operations in Taiwan and Hong Kong). These collections as well as the way these collections are made do great harm to coral reefs and native populations of grouper.

Added to this ecological nightmare, is the fact that groupers require a high protein diet. To satisfy this need, grow-out operators purchase "trash" fish from fisherman that specialize in this side of the business. Unfortunately "trash" fish consists of almost any fish that can be caught in fine mesh nets. This often includes juveniles of many reef species. The consequences : further harm to fragile ecosystems.

If all of this weren't enough, grow out operations are often responsible for contaminating the benthos in proximity to the cages. All kinds of waste matter including pharmaceuticals that are some time used to keep the fish healthy end up destroying the benthic habitat. There is more but this should be enough to get some kind of a movement of not ordering grouper."
[/FONT]

The only thing I would add is that much of what is served as "farm-raised" grouper is actually something like Asian panga falsely labeled as grouper. At least the Asian stuff doesn't hurt the reef, but I would hate to order and pay for grouper and get mass-produced Asian catfish instead.

My apologies to the OP and others for the thread hijack.
 
The juveniles are supplied to the grow-out operators by fisherman that specialize in the harvest of these fish from reefs far from where the grow out pens are located, (for example harvested in the Philippines and transported to grow-out operations in Taiwan and Hong Kong).

It is true. These huge cages/nets with grouper in them are located in several areas of southern Taiwan. This past August we had a huge typhoon that destroyed a few of these nets and consequently the groupers were released. They made their home among the reefs and proceeded to eat allot of the reef fish. Most have died out now...the nets/cages are back up and running too.
 
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