PART 1
Free-Plastic Ocean and Sustainable Fishing Campaign: A Journey with Sofonie Dala
Conclusion of the Overfishing Documentary in Angola
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,
We are filled with gratitude as we celebrate the successful conclusion of our campaign, "Overfishing in Coastal Africa," filmed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Let’s begin our event with a song of hope—a heartfelt tribute by our amazing gospel singer, Filismina, whose praise will uplift our hearts and souls.
Today, we present the conclusion of our documentary. If you wish to delve deeper into these powerful stories, please explore the links below, where you can watch the non-fiction accounts of amateur fishermen and uncover more:
Day 1: The Story of Claudia - Female Fisherman
Watch herehttps://formula-blue-sofonie.blogspot.com/2024/09/remembering-free-plastic-ocean-and.html
Day 2: Spotlight on Young Fishermen
Watch herehttps://formula-blue-sofonie.blogspot.com/2024/09/day-2-free-plastic-ocean-and.html
Day 3: Spotlight on Amateur Fishermen
Watch herehttps://formula-blue-sofonie.blogspot.com/2024/09/day-3-free-plastic-ocean-and.html
Campaign Report:
Though brief, this three-story edition had a profound social impact. Our campaign sought to highlight the challenges facing Angola’s fisheries sector, driven by intense competition for marine resources.
Through our reportage with fishermen in Luanda, Angola, we gathered stories from people of all ages—adolescents, youth, and adults—who shared their struggles. While the sea holds an abundance of fish, financial constraints and the high cost of fishing equipment hinder their ability to make a living.
Fish in the informal market is now more expensive, as fishermen, lacking financial resources, government support, and proper fishing gear, are unable to catch fish in large quantities. Constant harassment from authorities further complicates their efforts, impacting the lives of the most vulnerable people who rely on fishing for survival.
We also observed a low representation of women in leadership roles within the fishing industry, with most women taking on the role of fishmongers in the streets. Additionally, amateur fishermen expressed concerns about the debris and sharp metals in the sea, which make their work even more challenging.
As someone who hails from Angola, I’ve witnessed firsthand the devastating effects humans have on this unique ecosystem. It is disheartening to see little effort being made to address this critical issue.
Angola faces significant challenges, including insufficient marine data, a lack of environmental conservation awareness, and inadequate policies regarding conservation and fisheries. Studies show that species like sharks and rays, which inhabit shallow waters, are heavily impacted by artisanal and semi-industrial fishing. Their low productivity makes them highly vulnerable to fishing pressures, raising concerns that Angola's fishery practices may be unsustainable.
As we conclude the first part of our campaign, we look forward to beginning the second phase tomorrow. Together, we can continue to raise awareness and drive positive change for the future of our oceans.
Thank you.
The impact of fisheries subsidies on the continent
A webinar report about fisheries subsidies in coastal Africa informs that fisheries sectors in coastal Africa and across the world are experiencing an unprecedented crisis, driven by intense competition for marine resources. For decades, many governments have provided harmful subsidies to their fishing fleets to bolster their capabilities to increase catch, both domestically and in other countries’ waters, allowing them to drastically increase their capacity and profits.
Although these subsidies are often promoted as efforts to help small-scale fishers, they often end up subsidizing overfishing, increasing fishing fleet capacity, and contributing to the unregulated plundering of other countries’ fish stocks.
This documentary report was produced by Sofonie Dala in 2021.
https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2021/07/a-successful-conclusion-to-overfishing.html
