Chapter 5
Caribbean Fisherman
Introduction
This is a simulation activity about the lives of fisherman on a small Caribbean island. It
can be operated at a very simple level and used with children of primary school age in its
basic form. However, there are numerous possibilities for its sophistication and it has
quite fervently engaged the minds (and emotions) of adult students, teachers and
university dons.
Though its immediate focus is the task of ‘making a living’ by fishing for shellfish off the
shores of an island in the West Indies, its implications are considerably more. The life of
the Caribbean fisherman mirrors, in essence, that of many Third World primary
producers; their vulnerability to the vagaries of the environment, to undercapitalisation,
and to the changing terms of trade is a key factor in the continuing difficulties that some
undiversified nations have.
The island of St Philip will not be found in any atlas since it has been constructed as a
model and it encompasses the characteristics of several countries in the Eastern Caribbean.
A further exercise concerning the island and its reactions to large-scale tourism can be
found in the companion exercise St Philip (see p65).
The timetable for this simulation can be organised in a number of ways:
● The briefing and background to the simulation can be explained and considered on
one day and the actual game played on another.
● The briefing, playing and debriefing can be carried out on one single occasion (which
can last for as little time as one hour, or as long as the teacher cares to make it).
● The game can be played on successive days or occasions, playing through a week’s
fishing at a time, and then allowing players the time to consider their strategies
before trying again.
To make effective use of the game, however, it should be integrated into a unit of work
(perhaps about the Third World or primary activity or specifically fishing) so that the
major theme can capitalise on the intensity of the simulation experience.
Thus some preliminary study of fishing and/or work opportunities in developing
countries would inform pupils helpfully at a factual level before the game is begun.
There also needs to be follow-up work – perhaps homework or consideration of a parallel
case study – in order to use the simulation experience most effectively.
These issues are considered in more detail in the following pages.
How to use the game
Read through the material in this chapter. The initial pages are written for teachers; the
later pages represent the core of the game, which can be used by students on their own or
by teachers who prefer to manage the game actively. If the teacher manages the game, it
allows greater opportunities for development and discussion).
Chris Kington Publishing
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Part 2 – Games
If the teacher manages the game, students need only a pencil and paper; no photocopying
of any kind is needed. If the teacher wants to make the game self-operated, it will be
necessary to use some of the resource pages provided (the map, the Record Sheet, How to
simulate the weather) and photocopy them.
The game can be used with as few or as many people as the teacher wishes. It has been
used with groups of four or five pupils and with conference audiences numbering in
excess of 500. It helps to use the map of St Philip and to write up the table of expected
incomes so that they may be seen and consulted by players.
If the teacher wants to make the game self-operated, it will be necessary to detach the later
pages and to make photocopies for as many groups as will play the game. The only
essential piece of equipment for the teacher is a six-sided die.
Briefing the game
As suggested above, the game will be at its most effective as a keystone experience within
a larger unit of work (for example on Third World development or primary activities). But
beyond its placement in a unit, there is a need to ‘brief ’ participants before the game starts.
This extends to not only explaining the purposes and rules of the game, but also to
providing some initial content and stimulus to put the problem in context.
The cartoon (see p30) may be a provocative starting point – either shown visually or
described to the players. Given that Britain has received many West Indian citizens from
Caribbean islands in recent decades, why do they leave the sun-kissed beaches of the
Caribbean? The game attempts to suggest a reason by pointing to the vulnerability of those
in primary occupations who are unable to control the environment in which they work or
the economic terms of trade. It may be helpful to look at some tourist brochures of West
Indian islands to contrast the view expressed by the brochures with the realities of
everyday life for Jamaicans, Trinidadians, etc.
The quotations from Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea (see p29) may also be a
helpful way of developing an initial understanding of the life of the Caribbean fisherman.
Teachers and students may well be encouraged to search for their own material on the
topic before the game starts.
Managing the game
Before you begin, make sure that everyone has a basic understanding of what they have to
do (ie put pots inshore or offshore, depending on how they view the likelihood of bad
weather). Decide whether you want the class to work individually, in pairs, or in larger
groups. Pairs are quite a useful device, since this allows discussion of issues without the
grouping being noisy or unwieldy. Make sure each fishing ‘unit’ has a copy of the Record
Sheet and understands how to fill it in. Announce that you are going to begin on a
‘Monday’. It may well be useful to give teams ‘experience’ of the weather before you start
(see ‘Giving players ‘experience’ of the weather’ on p26), then invite them to fill up the
second and third columns of the Record Sheet. When that is done, draw attention to the
fact that you will publicly throw the die to find out whether there is going to be good or
bad weather. (It isn’t always necessary to explain the programming of the die until later in
the game – it may be better merely to say ‘I am programming the die with the weather
information that is in the calypso, and you know that there is an element of chance in the
weather. It is that chance element that the die represents.’ After the throw of the die,
remind players about the prices that apply on the good day or bad day and tell them to fill
in the last three columns. The Costs column applies to the replacement pots that they will
need to buy if they have fished offshore on a day that has turned out to be bad. The sixth
column is the daily profit or loss; the seventh column a cumulative total.
Allow time for discussion of results and formulation of future policy and then operate the
sequence again. At the end of a week, encourage players to consider their success or
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Chapter 5 Caribbean Fisherman
otherwise, but don’t necessarily ask for this information to be made public. Some teams
which have not done well will prefer not to reveal this information (as in real life when
people want to ‘keep up appearances’) and their self-respect should be considered.
Similarly, the teacher should avoid going round and ‘coaching’ or making judgements
about strategies. The results of strategies are self-monitoring and it is much better to
observe dispassionately, responding to questions or clarifying when asked but not laying
down policies. (The big-time gamblers who put all their pots offshore every day are likely
to come a cropper sooner or later).
Let the game proceed without any elaborations for the first five days; remember there is no
fishing at the weekend, though it will be necessary to roll the die to simulate Saturday and
Sunday’s weather. At the first weekend, however, it may be advisable to introduce some of
the developments suggested (the idea of cooperatives; changes in living expectations) or
others suggested by players. The idea of changing the price of fish is best introduced
unexpectedly during Week 2. This will probably lead to renewed discussion and an urgent
revision of fishing policy. Such unexpected reversals of fortune may be accompanied by the
teacher simulating a visit from the Manager of a Holidays Inc. hotel in Queenstown, who
puts the persuasive case to recruit fishermen to the hotel – ‘I see you’re having a bad week –
too bad. I’ll be back at the weekend to sign on those who want to get out of this.’
It is difficult to specify an optimum length of time for the game, but two weeks’ fishing is
usually enough to bring out the problems. Don’t reveal the finite length of time to the
players before you start – it must seem indefinite to be real.
Debriefing the game
There is no predetermined time for the game to last; a sensitive teacher will know when
the game has served its purpose. It is not likely to be worth playing more than four weeks
of fishing except in very unusual circumstances. The visit of someone from Holidays Inc.
or the proposal to strike or set up alternative occupations may well be the place at which
game-play turns into animated discussion without needing to proceed further. Afterwards,
it may be useful to ask players to reflect both on their own experiences (How well did they
do? Did they win/survive? Is fishing an easy occupation?) and on the life of Caribbean
fishermen in general. This reflection could take the form of discussion in class, of written
work in class or of some kind of homework assignment.
The uncertainties of fishing should lead the class on to the consideration of wider
implications – for example, the need for some stability in trade prices (and the
vulnerability of nations who depend on the changing terms of trade in primary products);
the impact of tourism on small islands like St Philip – are the hotels in Queenstown of
benefit to the fishermen of Warner?
A return to the consideration of the cartoon might provoke interesting discussion. (Many
West Indians in Britain send remittances to their kinfolk on the islands from which they
have come; they will be earning more in the UK than they would be able to within the
limited opportunities of their small island economy.)
The playing of Caribbean Fisherman might lead on to a second activity, which is presented
in Chapter 9. This is a role-play of the Parliament of St Philip. Members of Parliament are
faced with a proposal for the expansion of tourism on a large scale on the island. (See the
companion simulation, St Philip, on p65).
The origins of Caribbean Fisherman are in an article written by W Davenport in Scientific
American in 1960. The data have since been updated, expanded and validated by the
experience of the author, by the contribution of many helpful teachers and students, and,
not least, by friends in the Caribbean.
An article describing some of the development processes in the game is R Walford
‘Caribbean Fisherman: reflections on a role-play’ in Simulation Games for Learning, Vol. 10,
No. 2, Summer, 1980.
Chris Kington Publishing
Using Games in School Geography
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Part 2 – Games
Developing the basic game
The comments above relate to the basic game of Caribbean Fisherman. The game in this
form can be used by pupils on their own (in which case copy p29-37 for their use) or
managed by the teacher.
But an important element in the use of simulations such as these is the possibility of
introducing new rules and ideas as the game goes along – to bring the game closer to
reality and also to underline the uncertainties and dynamics of real life.
Some possible sophistications of the game are suggested below. A possible ‘plan of
campaign’ in introducing these is suggested. However, it may well happen that students
themselves ask critical questions which raise some of the issues involved. If so, it is
opportune to introduce a further rule to meet the question asked, rather than to operate
purely by mechanical instructions. (For example, if a student asks about the possibility of
working in a cooperative after only a day or two, it may be as well to lay out the suggestions
in Point 5 below (see p27) there and then.)
Below are listed some of the ways in which the game can be developed as it goes along and
the rules that can be introduced to mirror the extra complexities of reality.
1. Making the price of pots variable from day to day
(The mechanism for this is also shown in the student notes ‘How to play’ on p36.)
Besides throwing a die for the weather each day, also throw one for ‘pot prices’:
● If you throw a 1, the price of pots moves down 1 dollar (to 4 dollars);
● If you throw a 6, the price of pots moves up a dollar (to 6 dollars);
● If you throw 2, 3, 4 or 5, the price of pots remains the same.
Once the price of pots has moved, it stays at the new price until another 1 or 6 is thrown.
2. Giving players ‘experience’ of the weather
Although the instructions and the calypso set out information about the weather, it may
be helpful to simulate some past weather experiences before play begins. It is possible to
roll the die quickly for (say) three weeks of weather to see how things turn out, as players
note down the incidence of good days and bad days.
Both in this activity and in the game itself, it is important to roll the die for ‘weather’ at
the weekend, even though no fishing is assumed to take place on Saturdays or Sundays.
3. Changes in the cost of living
At the start of the game, players are told that they need 80 dollars a week to meet the basic
essentials of food, shelter and clothing for their family. Those who make 80 dollars
successfully in the first week may be assumed to have fulfilled their needs and to have
aspirations towards further success – ‘last week’s luxuries become this week’s necessities’.
Thus, at the end of Week 1, tell all those who made 80 dollars that they need another 5
dollars (ie 85) to satisfy needs at the end of Week 2. Those who did not make 80 dollars at
the end of Week 1 are assumed to have ‘gone short of a meal or two’ at the weekend. If
they made between 70 or 80 dollars they can start again in Week 2 with a zero balance, and
need to try again for 80 dollars. In this way differential living standards begin to be
simulated. Those who made less than 70 dollars in Week I are ‘in debt’ by the amount that
their figure is below 70 (see Point 4, below).
4. Getting into debt
As stated in Point 3, fishermen who make less than 80 dollars a week begin to experience
problems (lack of food for the family being an obvious and immediate concern). An
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Chapter 5 Caribbean Fisherman
income of below 70 dollars in any week will lead to the accumulation of debt. It is
reasonable to assume that fishermen can go ‘into the red’ for a little while, trading on the
goodwill of their colleagues and local storekeepers – but, beyond a certain level, friends
will not allow debts to be put ‘on the slate’ any longer. Therefore, between 70 and 80
earned in a week equals hardship; below 70 earned in a week equals a situation of debt.
Allow debts to reach 50 dollars before taking further action. If a player has debts of more
than 50 dollars, he/she must borrow money from the Moneylender (a role that the teacher
can instantly assume if needed) to service further bills. The Moneylender’s money is lent
for one week at a time on a strict 20% interest charge, ie if 10 dollars are lent at the end of
Week 2, 12 dollars must be paid back at the end of Week 3.
5. Working together
Some players may come to realise that working individually with little money and a
limited set of assets is a limited activity. Many fishing communities in the Caribbean (and
elsewhere in the world) have realised that they can minimise risks by working together in
cooperatives. If this suggestion comes up from a player before the first week is concluded,
it is best to suggest deferral of the idea until ‘the weekend’. But at the weekend – a natural
break – allow players to discuss the possibility of working together. If they choose to do
so, they must share profits and losses equally. The question of whether or not they
continue to operate their own chosen policies about fishing inshore or offshore is likely to
be a contentious one; some initially eager participants in a cooperative will want to retain
freedom of choice and not submit to direction of their fishing policy! Cooperatives will be
in a better position to acquire a new boat (see Point 6, below).
6. Buying a second boat
If conditions are favourable, players may begin to consider increasing their income by
acquiring another boat; they must also buy extra pots (ie 100 + 6 x 5 = 130 dollars) and
pay the wages of the crew. Wages for a ‘hired hand’ can be set at 70 dollars a week. Other
supposed members of the ‘family’ are not to be allowed to crew extra boats.
7. Variations in market price of fish
This is more likely than a change in pot prices (see Point 1, p26) in real life. It could be,
for instance, that fishermen from a neighbouring island land fish catches at Queenstown
and create a glut of fish on the market. If this happens, the price of fish will drop quite
beyond the control of the fishermen, who have no monopoly of supply to Queenstown
hotels. Thus, at a chosen moment in the game, announce the extra fish landing at
Queenstown and say that the prices gained at the fish quay for each pot of fish will drop
by one dollar forthwith (eg 6 down to 5 for offshore fish on a good day; 2 to 1 for inshore
fish on a good day; 4 to 3 for inshore fish on a bad day).
NB This may cause considerable disquiet amongst fishermen who have carefully worked
out their strategies for the week ahead. Such disquiet should be met by patient explanation
of the difficulties of fishermen in real life. If fishermen express hostility to the other island
fishermen, the impracticability of blockades, strikes etc should be talked through. It may
be a point at which the game slides usefully into discussion.
8. Alternative occupations
Those who see the difficulties of making a living by fishing may come to consider the
possibilities of alternative occupations. Some suggestions for dealing with their ideas are
listed below:
● Rival pot makers
Suggest that they need to pay an initial 50 dollars to acquire the expertise, since
they can’t pick up a new job without training. Allow them to produce 20 pots for
sale per week, and fix their own price.
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Part 2 – Games
● Use the fishing boat for taking tourists round the bay
Tell them that a trip round the bay could only be undertaken twice a day (AM and
PM) and that no more than six people could be carried. Suggest a realistic price for
such a trip (compared with other trips being run in Queenstown) would be 1 or 2
dollars per person.
Then throw the die for the ‘tripper’ boats to see how many tourists they might
attract. If 1 dollar is the chosen price, the number of tourists per trip is the number
on the die (NB throw the die twice, once for each morning and afternoon trip). If
2 dollars is the chosen price, the number of tourists is as follows: six for 6 on the
die, three for 4 or 5, and none for 1, 2 or 3. Let players work out the desirable
strategies.
● Working in a Queenstown hotel
Tell players that a guaranteed wage would be 100 dollars a week, but that 25 dollars
would have to be subtracted for board and lodging. They could sublet their boat to
a fellow fisherman but someone would have to be paid to crew it (at 70 dollars a
week). Point out that hotel work is shift work, six days a week, that sleeping
conditions in dormitories are cramped and that prospects are limited. On the other
hand, wages might be supplemented by tips. Simulate the tips by die throws.
Multiply the number thrown by two, eg a 6 provides 12 dollars extra money for
one week. Only allow a change of occupation at the start of a fresh week.
Material to give to the players:
● A description of fishing in the Caribbean – a literary extract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
● A cartoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
● A general map of the West Indies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
● A map of the model island of St Philip (the divisions on the map represent
the parliamentary constituencies of St Philip). NB The activities of Caribbean
Fisherman take place at Warner, a village on the north-east coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
● A Record Sheet for players to complete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
● Start reading here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
● The basic situation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
● How to play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
● How to simulate the weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
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Chapter 5 Caribbean Fisherman
A description of Caribbean fishing
He thought of how some men feared being out of sight of land in a
small boat and knew they were right in the months of sudden bad
weather. But now they were in hurricane months and, when there
are no hurricanes, the weather of hurricane months is the best of all
the year.
If there is a hurricane you always see the signs of it in the sky for
days ahead, if you are at sea. They do not see it ashore because they
do not know what to look for, he thought. The land must make a
difference too, in the shape of the clouds. But, we have no hurricane
coming now.
He looked at the sky and saw the white cumulus built like friendly
piles of ice cream and high above were the thin feathers of the cirrus
against the high September sky.
...But most of the boats were silent except for the dip of the oars.
They spread apart after they were out of the mouth of the harbour
and each one headed for the part of the ocean where he hoped to
find fish. The old man knew he was going far out and he left the
smell of the land behind and rowed out into the clean early morning
smell of the ocean. He saw the phosphorescence of the Gulf weed in
the water as he rowed over the part of the ocean that the fishermen
called the great well because there was a sudden deep of seven
hundred fathoms where all sorts of fish congregated because of the
swirl the current made against the steep walls of the floor of the
ocean. Here there were concentrations of shrimp and bait fish and
sometimes schools of squid in the deepest holes and these rose close
to the surface at night where all the wandering fish fed on them.
From The Old Man and the Sea
Ernest Hemingway 1952
From The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, published by Jonathan Cape. Reprinted by permission of The Random House Group Ltd
Chris Kington Publishing
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“They’re incredible people! Why do they leave all this for a back street in Brixton?”
Part 2 – Games
A cartoon
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Chapter 5 Caribbean Fisherman
Map of the West Indies
Chris Kington Publishing
Using Games in School Geography
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Worth 6 on
good days
Worth 0 on
bad days
Worth 2 on
good days
Worth 4 on
bad days
Friday
Thursday
Wednesday
Tuesday
Monday
Pots placed
offshore:
Pots placed
inshore:
Day of the
week
3
2
1
Weather:
good or bad
4
Daily revenue
5
(5 ECD per
pot)
Cost of any
relacement
pots
6
Day’s profit
(or loss)
7
Total profit
(or loss)
8
Part 2 – Games
Record Sheet
Chris Kington Publishing
Chapter 5 Caribbean Fisherman
Map of the island of St Philip
NORTH LANDING
Little St Philip
Islands
NORTH BAY
Lookout
Point
N
Anchorage
Bay
WARNER
McNichol Point
WARNER
0
1 mile
Scale
Airstrip
North
Queenstown
Queenstown
Royal
Queenstown
East
QUEENSTOWN
Queenstown
Harbour
MID-ISLAND
ug
Sm
South
Queenstown
West
Queenstown
WESTERN
MARGINS
’ Cove
glers
MOUNTAIN
PURPLE RIVER
PURPLE RIVER
Southern Cape
Chris Kington Publishing
Jamieson Point
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Start reading here
You make your living from fishing; you live with your family on the small Caribbean
island of St Philip. St Philip is an island in the West Indies (not large enough to
show up on the map of the West Indies provided). It is just an ordinary little island,
like scores of others in the region. You have also been provided with a map of St
Philip itself. Your village, called Warner, is on the north-eastern shore looking out on
to the Little St Philip Islands across a broad, sheltered bay.
That bay is a beautiful sight in the sunset and visitors to the island often comment
on it. They sometimes tell you how much they envy the enjoyment and the
security of your life.
But that boat drawn up on the beach, those nets and buoys piled up at the side of
your house, they cost a lot of money, a lot of work, and a lot of ‘doing without’.
Fishing is a risky job. Out beyond the bay there are currents that can sweep away
your pots overnight; storms that can take boats, gear and even a fisherman’s life.
The best fish are out there beyond the islands in the open waters. You can
always fish for the small fish inside the bay but, of course, they don’t fetch as
much money on the fish quay at Warner with the hagglers who buy the fish for
the Queenstown hotels.
Only when there has been a bad night beyond the bay (and pots swept away in the
open waters) does the price of the small fish rise enough to keep anyone satisfied.
Trying to make a living from fishing is not as easy as it looks. Sometimes you have
to take a chance. Otherwise how would you raise the 80 dollars a week that you
need to support your family – just for the essentials of food, shelter and clothing?
The people who eat your fish are mostly to be found over in Queenstown. They are
the tourists who come by air or cruise ship to sample the delights of St Philip for a
day or two. The traders who buy your fish reckon that there is a steady market, so
that is something to be thankful for.
If the visitors do stray round to the bay where you live, it is usually by yacht. They
anchor in the good, sheltered waters inside the ‘cays’ (the name by which the Little
St Philip Islands are often known). Then they swim in the bay all day long, pausing
only to come ashore to buy fruit or basketwork from the village stalls.
These visitors are funny people, with their American or European ways. When you
talk to them they always say that they envy the ease of your life – but they never
take up the offer to change places. Once, one of them said: ‘Why don’t you
increase production fishwise by working at weekends?’ Perhaps he didn’t know that
there is always cricket on Saturday, always church on Sunday morning, and always
a little party on Sunday afternoon. You can’t change a way of life just like that.
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Chapter 5 Caribbean Fisherman
The basic situation
Fishing practice
Each evening you go out from Warner in your small boat to put out your pots to catch shellfish.
The following morning you lift the pots to see what you have caught and then take your catch
back to Warner in order to sell it to the traders in the market.
Smaller fish are found inshore south of the small ‘cays’ (islands). It is always safe to fish inshore,
but the fish are of less value to the market traders.
The bigger shellfish are found offshore (north of the islands) and these fetch a higher price.
However, a strong and unpredictable current runs in the offshore area and sometimes pots are
swept away and lost.
On a fine day inshore pots produce fish worth 2 Eastern Caribbean dollars while, under the same
conditions, pots fished offshore usually raise 6 EC dollars.
The strong current
When the offshore current runs it inevitably sweeps away pots laid north of the islands and they
have to be replaced. On such days the offshore pots bring home no profit. On these bad days
the only fish is from the inshore pots and, because of the scarcity, the value of the catch rises to
4 EC dollars per pot. We can represent this in a table:
Weather
Value of catch from each
inshore pot in EC dollars
Value of catch from each
offshore pot in EC dollars
Good day
2
6
Bad day
4
0
NB After a bad day you lose all pots placed offshore. You have no income from them and also
have to pay the pot maker 5 EC dollars for each pot you wish to replace.
The unpredictable current is obviously a big hazard to your fishing. Experience has shown that
the current runs about one day in six. However, it is also clear that once the current is running
there often tends to be a sequence of bad days rather than an isolated one. There is no certainty
about this, but a calypso enshrines the local wisdom:
Ocean King he has six daughters,
One he call to fetch the waters,
If she spill it, she must pay
By fetch the waters ’nother day...
Very, very rarely – when there is a freak storm – you might even lose your boat. It would cost
you 100 EC dollars to replace it.
Now you have enough information to start fishing...
Chris Kington Publishing
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Part 2 – Games
How to play
1. Look at the Record Sheet and note the heading of each column. You will complete these
columns after each round. One round = one day.
2. If you are playing the game by yourself you will need to consult the notes marked ‘How to
simulate the weather’. If it is a class game, however, it is likely that your teacher will control
this element of the game.
3. Make the first decision about where to fish with your six pots. You can put them inshore and
offshore in any combination; for example, three and three, four and two, five and one, etc.
4. Throw the die to simulate the weather or wait for this to be done by the teacher. You will
then find out whether you have had a good or a bad day and this will affect the value of
your catch.
5. Look at the table on the sheet entitled ‘The basic situation’ and work out how much money
you made from your day’s fishing. Enter the result in Column 5, Daily revenue, on your
Record Sheet.
6. If it was a bad day and you lost pots offshore, decide if you want to replace them to go out
fishing again with six pots the next day (it is usually a good idea to do so). Fill up Column 6
with the cost of these replacement pots.
7. Work out Column 7. This is your day’s profit. It is the amount of revenue you gained from
selling your fish, minus the cost of any pots you have had to replace.
8. Work out Column 8. This is your total profit and loss to date.
9. Repeat steps 3-8 for another four days. That is a week’s fishing. Did you make the 80 dollars
you needed?
Then go on and play a second and third week and see if, by experience and better strategy, you
improve as a fisherman.
Once you have got the idea of the game you may want to introduce extra rules to bring the
game closer to reality. For example:
Will the cost of pots always be 5 dollars a pot? It may be closer to reality to include a simulation
of the varying price of pots each day. You could do it like this. Assume the price of pots is 5
dollars to begin with. Besides throwing a die for the weather, throw a die for ‘pot prices’. If you
throw a 1, the price of pots moves down I dollar (to 4 dollars); if you throw a 6, the price of
pots moves up a dollar to 6 dollars; if you throw 2, 3, 4 or 5, the price of pots stays the same.
Once the price of pots has moved, it remains at the new price until another 1 or 6 is thrown.
This simulates the random change in price that might be caused by the varying price of raw
material (bamboo and rope, etc), which may affect the price of pots and over which fishermen
have no control.
36
Using Games in School Geography
Chris Kington Publishing
Chapter 5 Caribbean Fisherman
How to simulate the weather
Simulating the current
The game instructions and the calypso each suggest that the chance of a bad day – a day when
the current sweeps away pots left offshore overnight – is about one in six.
We can simulate this by using a die. Throw the die for each day’s fishing after fishermen have
decided where they are going to put their pots. If the die lands with 6 face-up, the current is
assumed to run; it is a bad day.
However, as the instructions and calypso also say, once the current has started to run, the
chances of it continuing to do so are much increased. Thus, if you have thrown a 6 on Day 1,
it will take throws of 4, 5 or 6 on Day 2 for the current to run again. In other words, the
chances are now half and half that the current will run. If you throw a 1, 2 or 3, however,
it goes back to being ‘fine weather’.
If the current has run for two days, it will run again on the third day if you throw a 5 or a 6.
In other words, the chances are now about two to one that it will be bad.
After three days of the strong current, a throw of 6 on the fourth day will keep the current
running, and a 6 on every succeeding day will prolong the run of bad weather.
In this way the simulation of a surge-current is achieved with the likelihood of the current
sometimes running in two- or three-day surges.
Simulating a storm or hurricane
The West Indies is in the Hurricane Belt and there is at least the possibility of severe storms or
cyclones coming close to the island. These conditions make fishing a very risky business indeed.
Boats might be lost as well as pots.
We can simulate this on the die. As you throw the die for the weather each day (see above)
note if any number comes up three times running – eg three 2s or three 5s in succession. If so, it
is a warning! If the same number comes up a fourth time, there will be a storm. In the face of
this warning, those who continue to fish offshore will be playing for high stakes; and even those
who fish inshore will face some hazards.
If the same number comes up again for a fourth time in succession:
● those with pots offshore are assumed to have lost both their pots and their boat.
(The storm blows unexpectedly as they are returning from putting out the pots.)
Cost of a replacement boat is 100 Eastern Caribbean (EC) dollars;
● those with pots inshore lose all pots and have their boat damaged – cost of damage
is 40 EC dollars;
● those who don’t fish at all on that day escape without penalty.
Chris Kington Publishing
Using Games in School Geography
37
Using Games in School Geography
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