Pedro Keys
There was a request from for information from ‘ Young Tbite’, about how the Pedro Keys were discovered, and I will attempt to explain why fishermen from villages along Jamaica’s south coast started to fish waters around these keys.
Pedro Keys have been there forever, they are not a recent discovery. They were just too far away from the coast for men in dugout canoes to get to and return in one day.
After many years of fishing by swarms of men along the coast, the fish stock around the island became exhausted, and men could no longer survive on the meager catch that they were taking in. A famous French oceanographer named Jacques Cousteau did a survey of fish stocks in the waters surrounding Jamaica, and he reported that there was very little fish around the island. That was over forty years ago, Cousteau has been dead that many years at least. As we all know, all our West Indian islands are mountain tops that rise above the level of the oceans. For some distance from the waters edge the ocean depth gradually increases until it is too deep for fishermen to put down their fish pots and touch bottom. If and when this happens they lose their pots because they did not attach a long enough rope and the float, usually bamboo, gets pulled below the surface of the water, and the pots are are lost forever.
Fish tend to live around reefs , so enterprising fishermen had to equip themselves with engine powered boats that could make the journey out to the Keys. This was not an easy task for most poor fishermen. They needed a modern boat, a reliable motor, and guts to sail across the ocean deeps to reach the keys. I am no sure what they did once they got over there, but they must have built lodgings of some sort. And they must get food somehow, because they stayed over there for weeks, before coming back. It would be good if somebody would write about life on the Keys, so that we could get an idea of how they lived. How about some Sandy Bank school student pick the brains of somebody who has done this, relate the account they give and they write a submission here. I am looking forward to seeing it.
In olden days, fishermen would sell their catch to fish vendors from as far away as Kingston. These vendors would arrange with a local person who would buy the fish, put them on ice in large wooden boxes and transport them in trucks that picked up the cargo on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. There was also a group of small time vendors from the Mountain regions surrounding Pedro, who made a living selling fish from wicker baskets they carried on their heads. Some brought with them for sale in the market, fruits and foodstuff that people in Pedro needed.
Market days in Great Bay, and Calabash Bay were lively and well attended by housewives hustling to feed their families. The social aspect of these gatherings was well appreciated as well. Ladies would have hot coffee and sweet cakes, buns, corn pone, gizzada, and other goodies for all to buy at very reasonable prices. As children we loved it when we were taken to the market, and our adult relations would treat us to goodies. It did not happen too frequently though, and children were never allowed coffee.
The one sad fact that emerged from fishermen venturing out to the Keys is that quite a number of men have lost their lives going over, or coming home. Others have been robbed at gunpoint by pirates, or they were swallowed up by rough seas. I was born in Treasure Beach, but I am not a swimmer and I am terrified of small boats, so I will never ever visit these Keys. There are other keys dotted around the coast of Jamaica also, and I have visited Lime Key from Kingston, but I travelled in a fair sized boat. I have crossed the Atlantic in a passenger ship, I have been on Cruise ships numerous times, and always felt uncomfortable looking out and seeing no land in sight. I am a land lubber at heart and always will be.
Young TBite, I hope I answered your question satisfactorily. I wonder if I know who you are?

Back in the days, some fishermen would use a rudder, sails and oars to get them out to sea. Is there anyone out there who could shed some light on this? This must have taken the fishermen all day to get to their journey and back. This should also explain why fishing across the Keys was not too popular back then. Did rudder and oars come from the days of the Arawaks? What about sails? Was that from the Bucaneers?

Gosh,I miss those good old days at Calabash Bay! Everyone was so happy and loving back then.

so true.

Yeah I remember Matil bun miss Erline banana and Francis mangoes

My memories of Pedro Keys are of the fishermen who lived there and would come home for the holidays, flush with cash and were very generous especially to the children. Dem were good old days.

I have always heard about Pedro Keys but as a female I always wonder what it looks like . Is there anyone out there with any pictures of the Keys?

Curious hit search on the top left hand corner when page open type Pedro cay and you should find a few photos of Pedro cay