Fishing is hard but the rewards are handsome.

So says Suafai Leiataua, of Moata’a.

The 20-year-old is a fisherman.

“I prefer selling fish because I earn lots of money from this,” he said.

“When the fishing trip is successful, I earn between $200 to $300tala a day. Which is great for me and my family.”

Suafai sells fish on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sunday mornings. 

“We only rest on Sunday,” he said.

The challenge is the weather.

“When the sea is rough, I put safety first,” he said.

“I also know when to go and when not to go.”

Back on shore, Suafai has two places for business.

“Somedays I sell my fish here, other days I take it to the market. Wherever I know I can get maximum results from is where I will go.

 “So we sell it at the market and the road.

“Wherever we sell our fish, we still earn enough money.”

Suafai said everyone wants to bargain the price of his fish.

 “That’s the only problem,” he said.

“People ask for low price but we do give them lower price which is cheap because fishing is not easy.

“I think my prices are $10 or $15tala cheaper than other people.”

Suafai says he enjoys being a fisherman.

He also notes that the catches are not as good as they used to be. He said corals have been destroyed and climate change is starting to take its toll on fishing numbers.