When Alorwu Semevor, client and group leader of the Mawumenyo cooperative, asked me if I’d like to watch her observe how fishmongers in Atorkor smoke their fish, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. The very next morning Erica and I made our way to the beach of Atorkor to find Alorwu buying fish from the mornings catch. After some time of observing the bargaining process (about an hour) and a brief moment running away from a sea snake that was caught in a net, it was back to her yard to sort her fish.
The sorting process is a very labor-intensive task. Alorwu and four other women will help collaboratively sort the piles of fish and shrimp into large shrimp, small shrimp, long fish, and small fish. These women will spend up to two hours sitting and sorting their individual pile. The fish and shrimp are also have quite pointy edges, making it hard to grab a lot at once!
After each pile is sorted, it will be placed on grates and dried in the sun. This is a prime opportunity for all her animals to snag a piece of the catch while she’s not looking as well. Alorwu will proceed to prepare her smoker, from which she will continue to stack about five grates on top. From here she will wait as the slow process of smoking begins.
