Honda, Colombia, is known for a seasonal moment fishermen call “la subienda,” when freshwater fish migrate upstream in the Magdalena River system. The migration, typically seen between January and February, has long shaped the town’s cultural calendar and its household budgets.
Víctor Segura Guerra described preparing for the period by throwing his net into the Magdalena, saying he expected to catch as much fish as he could to pay debts and finish building his home. In Honda, a fishing town in central Colombia, the annual pattern has become a routine that signals both when work begins and when income rises.
“Aprovechamos el momento en esta época pues ganamos buena platica (dinero): ahorramos, pagamos nuestras deudas… y pues tengo un proyecto por ahí de una casita para terminarla y salir de pagar arriendo”, Segura said in an interview with The Associated Press. He said he has spent more than half his life fishing, and that when “la subienda” passes, fishing alone is not enough to cover his expenses, prompting him to take other jobs as well.
Fishermen told AP that on a “good day” they can collect up to 77 dollars during the season. They said that could translate into earnings of up to 550 dollars in a week—an amount they compare to what a worker on a basic salary might earn in a month.
The role of “la subienda” in the town’s economy is also reflected in local celebrations. In late February, Honda holds a carnival and a reign of the Subienda, with music and cultural representations marking the mass arrival of fish.
But fishermen interviewed by AP said the river rhythms that support the migration have been changing. Eduardo López, a representative for Honda’s fishermen, said he believes the shift is linked to climate change, pointing to hot, dry conditions that reduce water levels and slow the fish’s reproduction.
López said they see “mucho verano (sequía)” and that during such periods the ciénegas—natural water deposits—do not fill up, leaving the river with lower levels, warmer water and a delayed migration. He also warned that many native species are being depleted by these disruptions.
López cited bagre rayado, known scientifically as Pseudoplatystoma magdaleniatum, and said it is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. He also said the migration is not producing the same commercial results as it once did, adding that “En los últimos años la comercialización del pescado ya no se encuentra como antiguamente, como en el 75, 85, 95; las ‘subiendas’ han bajado.”
AP reported that a 2022 publication by the Instituto Humboldt, the University of Antioquia and Empresas Públicas de Medellín warned that species living in the Magdalena River are threatened by deforestation and by the transformation and degradation of ecosystems, as well as overfishing.
While some residents emphasize that their fishing is artisanal, others have raised concerns about methods used in nearby areas. AP said some fishermen complained that nearby populations deploy techniques not permitted, including trawl nets that capture fish “sin distinción,” catching everything that comes through. As “la subienda” approaches each year, Honda’s fishermen said the future of the migration—and their income and local species—depends on whether those conditions and practices change.
Luis Humberto Salinas, a representative of the Association of Pescadores Unidos de Honda, said the economic stakes are direct. “La base fundamental de este municipio es ‘la subienda’. Si no hay ‘subienda’, no hay economía”, he told AP.