Barceloneta’s Remaining Fishermen
La Barceloneta has a historic fishing tradition. However, it is a sector in crisis, threatening to disappear from Barcelona. In 2012, there were 40 fishing boats at the Barceloneta dock; today, there are barely 29. The crisis is felt throughout Catalonia, where in the year 2000 there were 1,550 fishing boats, a number that had been reduced to 814 by 2016.
Many of the fishing boats have nightly journeys, departing around 11 p.m. and returning between 8 and 10 a.m. The fishermen are paid according to their catch, and their wages have been affected in recent years by the decline of fish stocks in the region: they catch less and smaller fish. Moreover, it is a physically demanding job with constant risks. These are some of the reasons why fewer and fewer people are dedicated to fishing. These photographs depict the daily life of fishing aboard one of Barcelona's 29 vessels, Encarna y Miguel, dedicated to purse seining. Every night, its 14 sailors set sail, leaving Barceloneta behind.
Barcelona, Spain. 2020.
