Mercado de Mariscos: The Heart of Panama City’s Fishing Industry
Photo posted April 16, 2017 in
CommMedia in Panama by Commedia.
In lively and colorful Panama City, the Mercado de Mariscos seafood market bustles from the ocean to the outdoor restaurant which is located nearby. Hundreds of people flock to the market daily, whether to observe the fishermen load the fish from the docks in the morning or to taste the fresh seafood on the table at the outdoor restaurant. This popular area in Panama promotes the true freshness of the food and culture, which is highly regarded because of the seafood.
Around 6:00 a.m. each morning, boats appear on the horizon and arrive at the docks to begin unloading the fresh catch of the day. An assortment of seafood is caught and distributed: shrimp, crawfish, whitefish, trout, tuna, and swordfish.
These species are caught all over the Pacific side of Panama and returned to the same docks every day, moving on the cycle of Mercado de Mariscos.
Many of the fishermen were introduced to the industry and work at a young age, sometimes as early as five-years-old. In Panama, generations of families work in the fishing industry. Some of the men begin to work fulltime at age 11, starting early to provide more income for their families, and shortening their days at school.
The wooden fishing boats are lively and colorful. More than a dozen fishing vessels float in the bay water while the fishermen actively mull about repairing nets, chatting, and loading large blocks of ice. The paint on the boat is faded, but the energy of the atmosphere never dwindles. The boats depart from the dock for trips from 1 - 9 days of fishing. The men live at sea most of the time, including bathing, sleeping, eating and working.
The transition from the activity at the docks to the walkways inside the markets, behind the outside restaurant, is abrupt once lunchtime begins. Workers chop and clean fish within 50 feet of each other. The floors are wet with water and fish guts. The air has a distinct smell of fresh fish. Customers come here to purchase fish that just arrived from the docks.
The entirety of the Mercado de Mariscos is fascinating and enticing, completing the cycle from water to plate, which remarkably portrays the locality of food and the culture in the beautiful Panama City.
Fisherman unload their catch from a boat in Panama City, Panama, early in the morning on March 6, 2017. The fish will either be sold to restaurants around the city, or served at the fish market restaurant outside of the docks.
Photo by Rachel Johannes. / Photo by Rachel Johannes
Fishermen work on their boats after delivering their catch of fish from their trips in Panama City, Panama on March 6, 2017. The boats are decorated by the fishermen and feature many colors.
Photo by Rachel Johannes. / Photo by Rachel Johannes
Birds stand, reflected in pond water on the large, cement fishing docks in Panama City, Panama on March 6, 2017.
Photo by Rachel Johannes. / Photo by Rachel Johannes
Two fishermen work to haul fish off a boat and into a bin Panama City, Panama on March 6, 2017. The fishermen work long hour days, coming in from 7-9 day tours at sea to catch fish on small wooden boats. These men live, bathe, eat, and work at sea, some having started at 10 or 11 years old, and having been introduced to this work as young as 5.
Photo by Rachel Johannes. / Photo by Rachel Johannes
A man cuts up a net to distribute for fishing excursions in Panama City, Panama on March 6, 2017. Most of the men who work on the docks come from a family that has a ancestry of working in the fishing industry, especially at these famous docks in Panama.
Photo by Rachel Johannes. / Photo by Rachel Johannes
A fishing boat sits on the still waters of the Pacific Ocean in front of the Panama City skyline, in Panama City, Panama on March 6, 2017. This is the usual view for those who work at the fishing market, an infamous place in Panama City for fresh fish.
Photo by Rachel Johannes. / Photo by Rachel Johannes
Enrique chops the fish into filets for cooking, the serving at the restaurant in Panama City, Panama on March 7, 2017. Many of the workers at the market find themselves in the cycle of work to stay out of poverty. Some enjoy the business, others participate because it runs in the family, and some work to bring food to their family.
Photo by Rachel Johannes. / Photo by Rachel Johannes
The back markets are another portion of the fishing markets in Panama City, Panama, shot on March 7, 2017. The hustle of the seafood market contains many moving parts, different skilled workers, and collaboration in this lively atmosphere.
Photo by Rachel Johannes. / Photo by Rachel Johannes
Blood and fish guts drip from the table in the back of the seafood market in Panama City, Panama on March 7, 2017. This entire process, from the docks, to the table occurs within 100 feet at the market.
Photo by Rachel Johannes. / Photo by Rachel Johannes
A man dumps a large bin full of fish blood into a drain on the floor of the seafood market in Panama City, Panama on March 7, 2017. Fish lie in buckets all around the area, the floor is wet with guts and blood, and the atmosphere smells like fresh catch.
Photo by Rachel Johannes / Photo by Rachel Johannes
A woman holds open a flap to a room in the seafood market where large bins of ceviche is being prepared for serving customers in Panama City, Panama on March 7, 2017. Ceviche is a very popular dish in Panama, especially since it requires fresh fish.
Photo by Rachel Johannes. / Photo by Rachel Johannes
Fish, harvested from the Pacific Ocean, sit in a bucket to be hauled off the fishing docks and sold to restaurants in Panama City, Panama on March 6, 2017.
Photo by Rachel Johannes. / Photo by Rachel Johannes
A fisherman displays part of his catch. / Photo by Rachel Johannes
Enrique, left, assisted by another co-worker, cut up fish delivered by the nearby fishermen at the docks in Panama City, Panama on March 7, 2017. Everyone working in the seafood market has a specific job, such as salesman, fisherman, chef, or fish cutter. This fish will be cooked and served at the outdoor restaurant.
Photo by Rachel Johannes. / Photo by Rachel Johannes
A few men survey and pull at their wagon of ice blocks, after an unfortunate event of some ice blocks falling off of the wagon while being pulled up a hill in Panama City, Panama on March 7, 2017. The ice is hauled off freezer trucks in the early morning, and then used throughout the day to cool the fish and keep it fresh for serving.
Photo by Rachel Johannes. / Photo by Rachel Johannes
A man smiles while he holds a fish, proceeding to throw it into the van next to him, to be shipped to local restaurants in Panama City, Panama on March 7, 2017.
Photo by Rachel Johannes. / Photo by Rachel Johannes
A server waits for the rest of her order, which mainly consists of cups of ceviche that was back fresh from the sea in Panama City, Panama on March 7, 2017.
Photo by Rachel Johannes. / Photo by Rachel Johannes
Some men take a small boat around the docks to survey the area and direct traffic for the incoming boats in Panama City, Panama on March 6, 2017. Boats usually arrive at the docks at sunrise, and fishermen spend the entire day loading their catch up for sale, then head back out to sea for the next fishing expedition.
Photo by Rachel Johannes. / Photo by Rachel Johannes