Soaked in blue and salt : Introduction

Peniche's harbor. Throughout history the ten-kilometer peninsula has been successively inhabited by people whose main source of income comes from fishing. Peniche is one of Portugal's most important harbors, well known for the use of traditional fishing methods. The growing scarcity of fish has been seriously affecting the lives of those who depend on the oceans. Trophies won by the boat Avô Tomás during the city's annual festival in honor of Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem, a religious figure that protects fisherman from the perils of the sea. Fábio, 21, captain of the boat Avô Tomás. Born in a family of fishermen, Fábio started fishing at the age of 13. He left school 5 years later to become a full-time fisherman. Seagulls in the harbor waiting for fish leftovers, not abundant but easy to get. Fishing on an early morning. Docapesca's warehouses, a state company that holds the monopoly of selling fresh fish. Fishermen are not allowed to sell directly to costumers. Sea wall. Wall poster in a warehouse where eight fishermen live. Elder fishermen find it very hard to live only from their retirement pensions. Some chose to continue fishing, others stay in land to help repairing fishing nets and equipment. The majority of fishermen that are not originally from Peniche live in small warehouses in the harbor. Low wages and lack of work make it hard for them to rent a house in the city. Sérgio, 37. The day before Sérgio's boat only caught two rays and two cuttlefish. The scarcity of fish and lack of prospects is a growing concern amongst younger fishermen. One of the warehouses in the harbor where several fishermen live. Built to store equipment, the warehouses don't have toilet or shower facilities and are extremely cold in the winter. Despite of Portugal's ample maritime space, more than 70% of the fish has to be imported from other countries in order to meet the consumption demands. In the warehouse of Fábio's family. While Fábio, his brother and father go fishing, his mother stays in the harbor with other women repairing old fishing nets. The land team repairs fishing nets with precise and repetitive movements during long hours, under sun or rain. The lack of fish and its low commercial value force fishermen to use smaller boats to reduce crew and maintenance costs. The fishermen, for whom the sea is their only source of income, point out overfishing as the main cause of the profound crisis that is affecting the industry. Cruz dos Remédios. Searching for protection from the dangers of the sea, fishermen surround themselves with religious symbols.