Young people in Ribeira da Barca are torn between the fishing tradition and the search for new opportunities

Assomada, 6 July (Inforpress) – Young people in Ribeira da Barca, a community where fishing remains one of the main economic activities, are torn between continuing in the profession they have inherited from their parents and grandparents or seeking new employment opportunities.

Although fishing continues to be an important source of livelihood for many families, some young people admit that the difficulties associated with the activity, such as unstable incomes, risks at sea, and rising costs, lead many of their generation to choose other paths.

Even so, the young Elias Oliveira keeps the tradition alive and maintains that fishing remains a dignified profession and a means of providing for one’s family, provided there are better working conditions, greater support for the sector and opportunities for modernisation

Audimiro Oliveira, one of the most experienced fishermen, expressed concern about the decline in the number of young people interested in the activity, and warned that the lack of generational renewal could compromise the future of artisanal fishing in the community.

DV/ZS

Inforpress/End