| Remarks |
The 'wandoone' is the king of all fish even if it is of a small size. When fish leave the flood pools, they go to the Falemmé or the Sénégal River. What is left for them to do? They eat each other. Because of this, between them (the fishes), they decided to elect a leader. However, to do this the news had to be told to all fishes. However, none of the fishes, not one of the species found in the rivers, can swim from Fouta to Khoulou. Attacked from all sides, they turned back. All the fishes failed, except for the 'wandoone'. It survived loosing only one captive and its children. Thus it was hailed king of fishes, not because of its size, not because of its 'embonpoint' but by its sheer numbers (Mamadou Mamou Bathily). The 'wandoone' is not abundant in the rivers during the rainy season. At the end of the rainy season, it leaves the highlands of Fouta Tooro and migrates downstream to the east. Throughout this route, fishers catch it with small meshed nets (Yéro Komé). At this time, the 'wandoone' moves en masse feeding like a broom sweeping clean the river and is followed by all other sorts of fishes (Moussa Dia). Other types of fish follow the 'wandoone' to feed on it, like catfishes, 'capitaine', 'xooxa', 'ditiine', and 'tanbo' (Yéro Komé). When they finally arrive downstream in Bakel, they dive down a deep pit and stay there until all their kind have arrived and continue their descent during the night (Diabé Sow). At this time, only the 'Subbalu' and 'Somono' people have nets long enough to catch them. Fishers equipped with short nets can only catch them when they reach the sand banks (Demba Traoré). Small meshed nets carried with two hands called 'sandan-jala' or 'wandoonen jala' are used to catch the 'wandoone'. This fish does not swim at the middle of the river but at the banks. Fishers go down the banks to water level up their chests and disturb schools of 'wandoone' with their feet then dip their nets to catch them (Diabé Sow). When the schools of 'wandoone' arrive in Aroundou, a part of it goes up the Falemmé and a part goes to Khoulou which is after Kayes. This is where the 'wandoone' migration stops (Demba Traoré). At this moment, fishers follow the fish to Falemmé, dive in the water with the two handed nets catching lots of fish. When fishing starts in Fuuradane, before arriving at Bencoome, fishers would already have landed a first catch on the barge. The second catch is landed in Bencoome (Seydou Doucouré). In Khoulou, where there are lots of rocks and boulders, during the dry season, water level decreases and water is cold, a condition which is favored by the 'wandoone' because it is full of fat (Hamet Camara). There is one rock in Khoulou called Félou through which the 'wandoone' can not pass except when there is a strong increase in water level. This is why migration stops there. The old people say that the 'wandoone' come from termite mounds, but we reject this belief. However, we have not seen any 'wandoone' full of eggs (Demba Traoré). The people of Macina place the 'wandoone' in a big jar and fire under it to heat it up but not to boil. They leave it there overnight. The next morning all the fat from the 'wandoone' floats to the surface of the jar (Hamet Camara). |