Local residents from Papua New Guinea (PNG) trade at that market. They spread out their mats on the street under the hot sun, waving their hands to keep flies away from their fish and shrimp.
By
Agustinus Wibowo
·5 minutes read
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
Fish market scene in Daru, Papua New Guinea
The small island of Daru is nicknamed “the capital of the snapper” because it is famous for the abundance of white snapper in its waters. It is said that one fish can be up to 2 meters long, so it must be carried by two men.
I had imagined a prosperous fishing industry, but what I found was a dilapidated fish market in the harbor area.
Local residents from Papua New Guinea (PNG) trade at that market. They spread out their mats on the street under the hot sun, waving their hands to keep flies away from their fish and shrimp. A fishy smell fills the air.
They sit in groups according to their area of origin. Fishermen from Kiwai Island and the Fly River delta trade at the dock. Not far from them are coastal fishermen from big islands, such as Sigabaduru and Mabudauan, selling snappers and lobsters.
A little farther from the pier are the women of Daru, selling areca nuts and sago buns with turtle meat filling. They sit in a row opposite the red structure that houses the HE&GG Supermarket. Meanwhile, fish traders from the uppstream area of the Fly River are in a row near the field across the New Century Supermarket.
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Daru has at least six supermarkets, all run by Chinese families that are located close to each other around the harbor. The outlets sell rice, instant and canned foods, cooking spices and clothing. One of the shops has even expanded its business into a hotel that charges a rate of millions of rupiah per night.
The HE&GG Supermarket is run by the Yan family from Fujian province, China. Almost all the goods it sells are imported. The cashier and staff are local residents, while two Chinese men sit on high chairs right behind the cashier.
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
HE&GG, a supermarket in Daru, Papua New Guinea.
I asked in Chinese why they were sitting there.
“There are too many thieves in this country. Not only buyers, even cashiers can steal if [left] unsupervised,” replied one of the young men.
They are human versions of CCTV cameras.
The two men seemed happy to learn that I was an Chinese-Indonesian who descended from the same province as they did. One of the men said he had lived in Jakarta for two years, trading in the Asemka area in Kota Tua (Old Town).
“Jakarta is much more modern and safer. However, competition is too strong. In PNG, it is much easier to make money,” said the man, who had lived in Daru for three years, but had never left the building that housed the supermarket.
"Aren\'t you bored?" I asked.
"Well, I am here to earn money. The important thing is success. Hardship is inevitable," he said.
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Just outside the supermarket was a shirtless and barefoot man who spent the entire day there. He seemed to have a mental discorder. As soon as he saw me, he immediately grasped my hand. “I am also from China!” he exclaimed. “Give me two [PNG] kina!”
I later found out that this man was a drug addict, had been in prison and had killed other prison inmates.
I struggled and cried out for help, until a crowd of people on the street helped free me. I later found out that this man was a drug addict, had been in prison and had killed other prison inmates.
I thought that once I left Port Moresby, I would be able to explore PNG freely. But this wasn’t the case. Mekha Eho\'o, my host, strictly forbade me to walk alone in Daru because of the many raskol (criminals) roaming around.
This was a huge regret, because Daru is a small island with a population of 20,000 people. Beautiful and quiet, it would be interesting to explore the island. There are not many cars on the island, and pedestrians dominate its paved roads.
The island is 5 kilometers long and 4 km wide, with an elliptical shape resembling a chick. The northern tip is a port area that supplies the Daru people with all they need. Following the main road from north to south, we then pass the airport that cuts across the center of the island and looks more like a football field surrounded by wire fences.
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
Two Chinese men (left and right) sit on high chairs to supervise cashiers and shoppers.
Continuing to the south, we come to an area called "Anus Daru". This is a dump site where garbage from all over the island is deposited. There\'s also an old abandoned harbor filled with the ruins of boats. Around it is an area simply called “Corner”, an immigrant settlement.
Daru is only about 250 kilometers from the Indonesian border, but there are no Indonesian traders here. Several years ago in Daru was once an Indonesian shop called TowooIndo that sold batik, pants and Indonesian-made foods.
However, it seems the shop had chosen the wrong location, as residents tended to avoid going to Anus Daru because it was thought to be too dangerous.
The Indonesian shop also ran its business without local partners, so it was often the target of burglarues and theft, so it did not last long.
(This article was translated byKurniawan Siswoko).
