Brava: Brava fishermen call for more attention to their class from the Government

Speaking to Inforpress, Anildo Baptista said that in this one year and a few months of his leadership, in front of CoopUnipesca, they need some equipment for fish conservation, and also highlighted that in 2024 some activities and capacity building training are already scheduled, both for fishermen and fishmongers.

“They will learn the best way to preserve their fish from the moment the fish is caught until it reaches the sellers and, therefore, the market, as this is a concern for the class”, he highlighted, stating The concern also requires that fishermen have the necessary tools so that they can feel comfortable in their work and saleswomen in preserving fish.

In terms of fishing, the person responsible highlighted that during this period, which is the preparation time for the fish to be sent to the city of Praia, because of the celebration of Ash Wednesday, compared to the previous year, he highlighted that this year the frequency of fish is much less on its banks, including in other fishing locations.

“Thank God, for what we have already achieved, we have a normal and balanced percentage, which will be distributed to our customers”, he assured.

However, he highlighted that at this time fishermen will face a period of crisis, which is called “dirty water”, taking into account that during Lent, there is a fish crisis and fishermen have already started to feel this.

Anildo Baptista also said that in terms of the artisanal fishing sector, fishermen have to be a little more flexible, in terms of economy, because when they acquire a higher percentage of fish they have to know how to manage the profit so that, when there is a crisis , manage to overcome it without much difficulty.

“Fishing is a very strong area in our country, but in Brava mainly we find few fishermen who perhaps in the future will have a subsidy, an income from what they worked in their youth”, he declared.

As reported, to celebrate National Fishermen's Day, which is celebrated today, in addition to some tributes to fishermen, there is also a talk with a representative from Garantia Seguros, with the aim of showing them the advantage of holding their heads, their families and their assets, which are their engines and vessels.

“Sometimes fishermen tend to have some losses in terms of fishing, and are subject to some risks, which is normal in this area, taking into account that the sea has nothing to hold back, and everyone is taking some risks like, therefore, we are raising awareness among them to opt for something better that will help them in the future”, he stated.

Baptista once again draws the Government's attention to the damage to the cable car, since, according to him, the machine is not able to transport even 10 kilos of fish.

“We had already reported this situation to Inforpress last month, however, until now no one has commented on this and in the community this situation is quite worrying. We appeal to the Ministry of the Sea to reach an agreement as soon as possible and transform this technical device in order to solve this problem”, he appealed.

National Fisherman's Day is celebrated today and was established by resolution of the Council of Ministers nº5/2003 of 24 July, with a view to providing “fair recognition” to Cape Verdean fishermen and honoring the memory of all those who throughout over the years they have dedicated themselves to fishing.