Fish is best, when fresh

 

Fish seller Ruth Gemo negotiates the price with a buyer.

 . . . . .  at the Koki Market in Port Moresby

By Grace Yaki of Post-Courier

You are from the Highlands and visiting Port Moresby for the first time.

Apart from the things you want to do, the places you want to visit, a fish meal is always on the menu for the foods you want to try in the big city.

Highlanders love their fish but they do not have much knowledge about the good, the bad and the ugly side of 'gwarume' or fish.

So when in Port Moresby, they visit the main supermarkets to get their fresh fish but there is one place in Port Moresby all fish lovers, including expatriates go to for their fresh fish.

That is the Koki fish market, now separated from the old Koki Market, which now operates as the vegetable market near Wanigela village. 

Koki market is the oldest commercial market in Port Moresby. The new fish market, is perhaps the only market in PNG, where you will find all variety of fish, big or small as well as crabs and other marine produce from the sea around the Central province on sale there that you can chose from.

We all know that in terms of nutrients, fish provides good source of protein and minerals and can make delicious and tasty meals.

A big fish can be just enough to feed a whole family.

With the hike in prices of goods and services, a big fish can be bought at a much lower price than lamp flaps, beef, pork or other protein products found in the shops.

Red Emperor is one of the favorites at the market. This fish is normally found in the deep and are caught by skilled fishermen. The Red Emperor has a beautiful red to pinkish color, sweet flavor and white tender flesh with big bones.

This fish are brought in by fishermen from the Fisherman Island (Moukele or Daugo) and the nearby motuan villages. It is quite hard work and normally took a whole day for the fishermen to be out in the sea.

“The catch depends on the weather, sometimes the fishermen returns with eskies full of fish while other times the catch is less, said Ruth Ravu a fisherman’s wife.

She said the fishermen normally go out in the night and return in the morning but on bad days, they stay till dusk and return,

Red emperor like the other fish and crustacean, their price varies depending on sizes, customer’s choice of preference, the fuel and food cost of the fishermen and the type of the fish being caught.

You can find small fish bundled and sold for K10 and big ones from K15 to K50 or K80 and more. Apart from shrimps, shells, prawns, there are also mud crabs found on the market tables.

Mud crabs are also one of the crustacean you will find there. There are priced depending on their sizes. The mud crabs are brought in from Manumanu, Abau and these crabs are caught by mainly Gulf people.

“When the tide is high there’s plenty of crabs and when the tide is low it’s the opposite, “said Willie Martin a mud crab seller.

When you are in the market, try ask for the name of the fish. You may be surprised to find that a particular fish or crustacean is named after a person or a thing.

There are two types of vendors at the Koki Fish Market. The fishermen and the resellers. The fishermen bring in their catch from afar and make a quick sale to the resellers who are always there before the markets opens to do their marketing.

“I sell fish to look after my kids”, said Ravu Kala, a reseller.

Everyday fresh fish are brought in by boats or PMVs.

To check the freshness of the fish you are buying, check the gills which must be red or pinkish in color, the scales go off easily when scrapped, the flesh is not soft and the eyes should be clear and not white and cloudy.

There is cleaning service provided by youths, you just have to pay a fee of K5 and your fish will be cleaned.

From the Koki Fish Market, there are quite a number of spectacular views, to the west lays the beautiful Ela Beach, Ela Beach Hotels and the other real estates on the hills overlooking the sea.

There is also the recently built iconic Apec Haus and on its left is the Sea Park which is also an extension of the Ela Beach area. The lovely Wanigela village is quite a view itself sitting on the sea and is situated on the left if you are facing the market.

So come to Koki Fish Market, there’s a lot there for you.