Figure 34: Market at La Reine.
Photo: J. Agar
In the La Reine market (Figure 34), the behavior among fishers, dealers and helpers is one characterized by “relajo” or joking24, with aggressive verbal games and physical bluffs. Fishermen exchanges often focus on women’s anatomy and crude sexual comments. Older and retired fishers that we interviewed expressed their qualms about the new market, mainly in relation to the behavior of the participants. Cursing, drinking, fighting over clients, and smoking pot were described as the forms of behavior that they disapproved. In their view there is no order at the market (“there is no control over the situation”) and there is an open “lack of respect” among the participants.25 The historical background of the La Reine Fish Market reveals the effects of the lack of placebased fishing communities in St. Croix and the continuous displacement of coastal settlements and culture. During our first visit in 2002, the fishermen sold their fish at the roadside mainly along Centerline Road. For health reasons, the government decided to concentrate the marketing and sale of seafood into a single safer venue. Interestingly, some fishers interviewed noted that fruit and vegetable vendors still sell roadside, highlighting the double standard of the situation.
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Anthropologist Anthony Lauria described in detail the polarization between “respeto” (respect) and “relajo” (joking and “roasting” each other) among Puerto Rican males. “Relajo” was the total abandonment of the respectful relations, and usually implied, crossing the line with other males. 25 However, other interviewees observed that fighting among the fishers, to get clients, was also common at the plot near the Western Auto Building. Instead of getting together to set the prices, they competed against each other. “That is the way they do it, so they like it,” one veteran fisherman told us.
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