Growing vulnerability in fishing communities

by Luca Catalano Gonzaga
Part of Land and ocean grabbing
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The waters of West Africa are among the richest in the world, but the growing population in the area is putting strong pressure on fishery resources. Overfishing, climate change, pollution, and destruction of critical habitats are endangering the survival of millions of people and local communities that rely on fishing for their livelihoods. Cape Verde, an archipelago of 10 islands off the coast of Senegal, is not immune to this situation. Its waters are rich in tuna, small pelagic fish, and demersal species, but excessive industrial fishing is endangering the survival of these species and the local communities that rely on fishing for their sustenance. The European Union and the islands of Cape Verde established an agreement in 2018 to manage fishery resources sustainably. However, this agreement has been criticized for the lack of adequate control over the activities of foreign vessels in local waters, along with discrepancies between the benefits obtained by community fleets and the financial compensation provided by Brussels. This agreement seems to fall short of achieving all its objectives in terms of sustainable fishery resource management, limiting the effectiveness of one of the EU’s main tools for international cooperation in the fishing sector. Furthermore, artisanal fishing, which should be protected and supported to maintain a balance between industrial and local fishing, is facing unfair competition from foreign industrial vessels that operate illegally in local waters. This phenomenon is known as “Ocean grabbing,” or the wrongful appropriation of oceanic resources by external actors. To address this problem, the government of Cape Verde has increased the number of licenses for artisanal vessels from 467 to 1,082 in the period 2016-2020. However, this increase was influenced by exemptions from payments during the COVID-19 pandemic, in an attempt to address the economic recession caused by the crisis. Industrial fishing continues to be an important source of income for Cape Verde, representing about 17% of all the country’s exports in 2021. (Text by Luca Catalano Gonzaga).

  • Tarrafal, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Joao, 84 years old, goes fishing along the beach of Tarrafal every day at sunset. He is considered the oldest fisherman in the area and is respected by the entire village community.
  • Sao Pedro, Sao Vicente, Cape Verde. Classification of various types of fish into containers after a long day of fishing. Fishing has long been a source of pride for fishermen in Cape Verde, but now they find themselves struggling to survive due to competition from international fishing vessels that are indiscriminately exploiting coastal waters.
  • Ponta do Sol, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Just caught a catfish.
  • Ponta do Sol, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Cleaning the catch before weighing and selling it at the local market. Local fishermen in Cape Verde are facing the harsh reality of an increasingly difficult fishing industry, due to the presence of international fishing vessels that are causing a reduction in fishery resources.
  • Sao Pedro, Sao Vicente Island, Cape Verde. Tuna caught off the shores of the island.
  • Ponta do Sol, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Return to the port of a fishing boat with the fresh catch.
  • Ponta do Sol, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Direct sale of the fish caught just returned to port by the fishermen. Fish represents the main food for the populations of the Cape Verde islands.
  • Ponta do Sol, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Two black mackerels are being transported to be weighed and sold in the local market.
  • Tarrafal, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Cleaning of the fish for the subsequent sale at the local market.
  • Sao Pedro, Sao Vicente Island, Cape Verde. Young fishermen fishing with hand lines.
  • Ponta do Sol, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Two black mackerels are being transported to be weighed and sold in the local market. Fishing has long been a source of livelihood for the coastal communities of Cape Verde, but international fishing vessels are making it increasingly difficult for local fishermen to make a living.
  • Ponta do Sol, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. The place where the fish is weighed before being sold to the local community. The local fishermen are facing a serious crisis due to the reduction of fish catch in the territorial waters, caused by the uncontrolled exploitation of fish resources by foreign fishing vessels.
  • Sao Pedro, Sao Vicente Island, Cape Verde. Fishermen just returned at sunset with a load of fresh tunas.
  • Sao Pedro, Sao Vicente Island, Cape Verde. The nets are retrieved at the end of the fishing day.
  • Sao Pedro, Sao Vicente Island, Cape Verde. Sorting of the catch upon the fishermen’s return.
  • Sao Pedro, Sao Vicente Island, Cape Verde. Maria is an eighty-one-year-old widow who lives with her fisherman son, who takes care of her. Their family has always lived off fishing for generations.
  • Sao Pedro, Sao Vicente Island, Cape Verde. Carlos, 53 years old, fisherman.
  • Sao Pedro, Sao Vicente Island, Cape Verde. A fisherman with a freshly caught tuna.
  • Ponta do Sol, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. A woman is in charge of selling fresh fish.
  • Ponta do Sol, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. A fisherman is weighing a freshly caught black mackerel to sell it in the local market. The local fishermen are struggling to maintain their livelihoods due to the decrease in fish catch caused by the arrival of foreign fishing vessels in territorial waters.
  • Ponta do Sol, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. A grouper and a moray eel just caught.
  • Ponta do Sol, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. A woman has just bought two fresh fish directly from the fishermen upon their arrival at sunset.
  • Ponta do Sol, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Cleaning of a black mackerel in preparation for sale at the local market. The survival of local fishermen is at risk due to the competition from foreign fishing vessels that are depleting the coastal waters of the fish resources on which their livelihoods depend.
  • Monte Trigo, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Women with jerrycans collect water at a water distribution center. The wives of fishermen often face the harsh reality of having to manage the family alone while their husbands are at sea for days.
  • Monte Trigo, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. The fishermen return to their village after a day of fishing.
  • Monte Trigo, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. A woman is folding the sheets in the fishing village.
  • Monte Trigo, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Disposal of fish washing water in the fishing village.
  • Monte Trigo, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. An elderly woman returns to her home in the village after going to the fish market.
  • Ponta do Sol, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Moment of intimacy between a fisherman and his son.
  • Monte Trigo, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Graziano, 58 years old, fisherman.
  • Monte Trigo, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Maddalena, 70 years old, with her handmade pipe.
  • Monte Trigo, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Filipe Paulo, 74 years old, fisherman.
  • Sao Pedro, Sao Vicente Island, Cape Verde. Carlos, 62 years old, fisherman.
  • Ponta do Sol, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. A fisherman is fishing along the coast in front of the village. The fishermen of Cape Verde are experiencing the negative effects of ocean grabbing, which is reducing their fishing opportunities and putting their economic survival at risk.
  • Ponta do Sol, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. The return of the fishermen’s boat after a night spent offshore fishing.
  • Tarrafal, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Fishermen are working to push the boat out to sea, bravely facing the waves of the ocean. Ocean grabbing is depriving local fishermen in Cape Verde of their sources of livelihood, as large foreign companies are taking control of coastal waters and exploiting fishery resources in an uncontrolled manner.
  • Tarrafal, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. An agile fishing boat is setting sail, ready to face the waves and challenge fate in a new fishing adventure.
  • Monte Trigo, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. Fishermen pushing a boat to the shore at the end of their fishing day.
  • Ponta do Sol, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. The fishing boats are being pulled onto the shore after a long day of fishing.
  • Monte Trigo, Sant’Antao Island, Cape Verde. A child, son of fishermen, plays with his small boat.
  • Sao Pedro, Sao Vicente Island, Cape Verde. A moment of relaxation on the beach after the fishermen’s return from the sea.

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