CROC MEAT STILL IN DEMAND -
Cat, mongoose also being sold to restaurants ....
Despite warnings from Wildlife Protection authorities, residents of one St
Thomas community are making quite a living from killing crocodiles and selling
the meat to restaurants in the area.
"The chiney man say crocodile meat sweet," declared one young man. "People love
it bad, dem say."
Several men and women told THE STAR that capturing, slaughtering and selling the
meat of the animal has become their 'hustle'. They say selling the slaughtered
animals to the restaurant owners has become one of their main sources of
livelihood.
"Them buy it from we for $400 a pound. So, me and me friend them wi go out inna
the swamp sometimes and trap one. Still, it better when we have flood and one a
them wash up. We just trap him and deal with it," a resident said.
His friend added: "We nuh see them 'round here plenty so is not a regular thing,
but di chiney man them still come ask if we have none."
He said whenever crocodile meat isn't available, they sell them mongoose or cat
meat, which are other 'favourites'.
"Yeah man, we ketch more mongoose and puss than alligata (crocodile), so we sell
more a that to the chiney man them," another young man stated.
The residents claim that the restaurants they supply do not always tell their
customers that it is crocodiles they are consuming.
"The croc dem sell as oxtail, and di puss and mongoose sell as different meat
like curried mutton or something else," one woman declared.
delicacies
According to members of the group, none of them have personally sampled any of
the delicacies.
One restaurateur, who wished to remain anonymous, told THE STAR that crocodile
meat, "has a slight taste like chicken, (but) ... has its own flavour. It really
is a different experience from any other meat. If you eat oxtail and eat croc
meat you would notice the difference in taste."
Despite the fact that crocodile meat is not a popular menu item in Jamaica, the
reptile has been cooked and served as a dish in various parts of the world for
centuries. On the internet are several recipes and tips for cooking the meat.
Studies have shown that the meat has a wide range of health benefits, including
curing asthma, as well as enhancing stamina and immunity.
In Jamaica, however, crocodiles have been protected since 1971 under the
WildLife Protection Act, making it illegal for anyone to harm much less eat the
reptile. One can be fined up to $100,000 or 12 months' imprisonment for harming
a crocodile.