Barbadian bio-cultural heritage: an analysis of the flying fish.

Abstract

The flying fish is a tangible species, but to Barbados it is a quintessential aspect of intangible heritage: a symbol of Barbadian pride and industry – the country’s motto. It adorns the silver dollar coin and is on the logo of the Barbados Tourism Authority. Barbados has its own unique ways of preparing and cooking the flying fish, and it is part of the national cuisine. But the availability of the species is at risk, as are its associated traditions, and there is no regulatory framework to protect this icon of national heritage. It is threatened by a maritime boundary and fisheries dispute, it struggles under the legacy of price controls that hamper the profitability of the fishing industry, it is uncertain whether there will still be people to harvest the species in the next fifty years, there is a significant variability in abundance which could affect the accessibility of flying fish to Barbadians, and climate change could lead to the local extinction of flying fish. So should the flying fish continue to be the leading icon of Barbados? Although not a unanimous decision, the majority of Barbadians surveyed felt that the flying fish should be preserved as part of the island’s heritage. Therefore, recommendations are made here for the preservation of this representative of local intangible heritage traditions.