This painting is named for the grade of fish on the flakes in the foreground. When the salt cod fishery was in full swing, a fisherman's catch would normally be shipped to market in late summer or early fall. Consequently, fish that were caught late in the fall were kept over winter. In the springtime, these fish would be washed and set out to dry on flakes. But because it was in salt for too long or became sunburned during the drying process, it would end up being the lower grade or “cull,” called "West Indies" (or “West Indee”). Merchants paid less for this fish and would typically ship it to the West Indies (i.e., Jamaica) in trade for bananas and rum. (Scene from L’Anse aux Meadows, NL. c. 1969)