2 March,São Pedro - Luís Andrade, 48, lives in the small fishing village of São Pedro on the island of São Vicente in Cabo Verde. He has been working as a fisherman since he was 16 years old, a profession he inherited from his father.

Today he supports a family of nine, and serves as President of the New Generation Fishermen's Association of São Pedro since 2015. Most families in this village depend on fishing for their livelihoods. However, overexploitation of marine resources has been forcing young people to seek other alternatives for survival.

Normally, Mr Andrade goes fishing at 5:30 am and returns at 11 am, but this varies depending on the location of the fish.

”On good days,as soon as we unload the catch, we send it to the market to be sold. We usually deliver it to a family member for marketing. I'll go back to the community, and typically we'll be working on maintaining the boat's engine, or the fishing nets and lines," he recounts.

For Mr Andrade, the consequences of overexploitation are very real and visible in his daily life, with smaller catches translating into less income and affecting everyone along the value chain — including women, who play key roles in processing and selling the fish, often under unfavourable conditions and with low wages.

“Women should have equal opportunities, since they are essential to the improvement of this sector," Mr Andrade commented. "This is why in our association, there are women decision-makers.”

He called for "balance" in how people use the natural resources they depend on.

“I believe we should fish responsibly, and invest heavily in aquaculture to achieve a little balance, because we can see that resources are running low," he pointed out. "We must pay attention, and take care to engage in sustainable fishing." 

"This would prevent the sector from suffering irreparable consequences within the next five to 10 years," he added.

Mr Andrade also called on consumers to support Cabo Verde small-scale fishers and fish workers by choosing local over imported fish.

About CFI-WA

CFI-WA covers Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal. The Initiative works with stakeholders and authorities to strengthen fisheries governance and management and improve the seafood value chain and working conditions, with a focus on empowering women. It is implemented by FAO in partnership with UNEP/Abidjan Convention and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).