21st of April, 2012, Tpo Bologna, IT

The European Union has an agreement with Cape Verde to fish highly migratory species, namely tuna. But Spanish and Portuguese vessels actually target sharks because of the high value of their fins on the Asian markets. This is done at the fringes of what is legal but it’s having dramatic consequences on the local population. It is not illegal because the agreements are unclear and can be interpreted in various ways. But what we know for sure is that this practice goes against the foundation of the agreement, where it is stated that European fishing vessels should work sustainably and not have an impact on resources targeted by locals.

Sharks are top predators and removing them has effects on the entire food chain in the area. Smaller fish that would prefer to be in the open ocean stay close to shore to find refuge from the sharks. Those smaller species that have disappeared mysteriously are what locals have caught for centuries. The pressure created by sharks is now so weak that fish which used to shelter by shore now freely roam the open ocean. Local fishermen can’t reach their target species unless they go far out with their little boats (which can have lethal consequences) and shoals are now in reach of international vessels, which can vacuum them up without having to take the risk of fishing them illegally within the 12 mile exclusion zone.

In 2009 the port of Mindelo saw 1400 tons of shark and shark fins. In the following year transshipment of shark products had more than doubled to 3200 tons, and by 2011 this reached 12.000 tons. These numbers are an indication of how worrying the whole situation is but don’t represent the entire scale because much fishing remains unreported.
Have a look at this photo gallery for a glimpse of what we filmed during that week of investigation.

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With special thanks to the photographer Andrew Sutton who took the under water pictures.
Full copyright © Andrew Sutton

Mindelo is a quaint touristic city, with colonial architecture and beautiful beaches by the promenade. To be honest we had hoped to spend a few days there relaxing by the sea, but in the end the stories we found were so intense, and what we discovered about foreign fishing in Cape Verde was so stunning that we barely managed to stop, although we did manage to get a little rest at the end.
The 4 Sundays ahead of carnival see a celebration with the exhibition of a group, like the one of the Mandingas, and the city becomes alive with the rhythm of samba. An explosion of energy featuring man in black, the whole gay community and abundance of grog which gives a yellow tint to the eyes.
In Mindelo we also met Kiso, our Cape Verdian supporter and flight controller. He has been extremely welcoming and joined us for an unforgettable dive into the Cape Verdean culture at the Esplanada Hollanda, a bar where Cesaria Évora used to perform before she became famous, in exchange for a couple of glasses of grog.

Mindelo è una cittadina turistica, curata, con un’architettura coloniale e meravigliose spiagge nei paraggi.
Per essere onesti la speranza per questi 10 giorni era quella di ritagliarsi anche qualche momento di relax e mare, ma alla fine le storie che ci circondavano erano talmente intense che anche quando ci siamo fermati per qualche ora, la testa continuava a ragionare e continuavamo a pensare e progettare e confrontarci…
Ma qualche pausa ce la siamo comunque concessa.
Le 4 domeniche prima del carnevale vengono celebrate con l’esibizione di un gruppo, come quello dei Mandinga, e la cittadina si muove a ritmo di samba. Un’esplosione di energia, la comunità gay al completo e lunghe bevute di Grog che tingono gli occhi di giallo.
A Mindelo abbiamo incontrato anche Kiso, un controllore di volo e musicista capoverdiano, nonché supporter di ‘Sandgrains’. Accogliente e disponibile come raramente capita, ci ha regalato un’ indimenticabile immersione nella cultura capoverdiana all’Esplanada Hollanda, dove anche Cesaria Evora si esibiva agli esordi in cambio di qualche bevuta di Grog.
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After a long sleepless night at the airport, spent working with the wonderful free wifi there, we arrived at Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicente, part of the northern Barlavento archipelago.
We rented a flat (bartered to a great price by Francesca from our landlord Artur), and spent another intense 10 days there.
Mindelo is a strategic point for international fisheries: thanks to geological formations the port is the biggest and most active in all of CapeVerde. We made several interviews with fisheries engineers, marine biologists and the CEO of the port’s node for international and national fisheries. José ended his stay with us in Cape Verde and left for Gothenburg in Sweden. We spent only three weeks with him and it felt like three months!

Dopo una lunga notte in bianco in aeroporto, passata a lavorare con una meravigliosa connessione gratuita wifi, siamo arrivati a Mindelo, nell’isola di Sao Vicente, che fa parte delle isole al nord, dette ‘Barlavento’.
Abbiamo affittato una casa (con annessa contrattazione sul prezzo di Francesca col Sig. Artur), e sono volati altri 10 intensissimi giorni.
Mindelo è un punto strategico per la pesca internazionale: grazie alla conformazione geologica, ha sviluppato il porto più grande e attivo di tutto Capo Verde. Abbiamo realizzato varie interviste a ingegneri della pesca, biologi marini e i direttori esecutivi dei due punti nevralgici della pesca nazionale e internazionale.
Zè ha terminato la sua permanenza e purtroppo è tornato a Göteborg, Svezia. Sono passate solo 3 settimane e ci sembra di stare in viaggio da 3 mesi!
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We left Ribeira da Barca on the island of Santiago, together with José for the second chapter of production: Mindelo, on the island of Sao Vicente. While traveling we made a stop in the capital Praia, where another part of production has been filmed. We met with the Cape Verdean Coast Guard, and had a very informative interview with the geologist Sonia Silva at the University, about the geological and environmental effects of sand gathering and the destruction of Cape Verde’s beaches.

Da Ribeira da Barca, nell’isola di Santiago, ci siamo spostati con Josè verso il secondo capitolo della produzione: Mindelo, nell’isola di Sao Vicente.
Nel viaggio è stata fatta una tappa intermedia nella capitale di Santiago, Praia, dove un’altra parte della produzione è stata filmata. Sono stati presi i contatti con la Guardia Costiera capoverdiana, ed è stata girata un’illuminante intervista con la geologa Sonia dell’Università pubblica, sugli effetti geologici e ambientali della distruzione delle spiagge.
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Another problem caused by sand gathering is the salination of fresh water deposits. Salt water from the ocean seeps into the ground, destroying plantations near the coast and ruining wells. The sand functioned as a filter, and now without this buffer the farmers are experiencing a significant drop in crop productivity.
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José brought us to Ribeira das Prata, a beach half an hour north of Ribeira da Barca. Volcanic black sand still
covers a long, wide shoreline here, and it is startlingly beautiful.
The former beaches of Ribeira da Barca and Charco, where José used to play football many years ago, covered an even wider expanse than this one.
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The points of view of Ribeira da Barca’s fishermen are essential for understanding what is happening in the Cape Verdean waters. We followed a usual work day of fishing with some of the the most experienced fishermen in the village. The catch was disappointing as it often is, with just 6 fish caught. Ze Antonio and Nelson gave us a long and very interesting interview aboard their little boat.
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