“Fishing educates”, is a pilot project that seeks to bring to educational centers of the Islands the values, traditions, and importance of this activity in the archipelago through talks, the display of fishing gear, tastings, and the use of different educational materials.
The proposal, funded by the Directorate General of Fisheries, has been inaugurated by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty of the Government of the Canary Islands, Narvay Quintero, at CEIP Isora and CEIP Valverde in El Hierro.
During the sessions, which were also attended by the mayor of Valverde, Carlos Brito, the director of CEIP Isora, María Ángeles Ponferrada, and of CEIP Valverde, Ana Dolores Yáñez, the insular director of Education, Yanely Santana, the project promoter, Lis Peña, and the fisherwoman Carmen Soto, the head of the department indicated that it is a pilot project that starts in the CEIP Valverde, Isora and La Restinga, from El Hierro, and Monte Breña and San Vicente, from La Palma, with the intention of expanding and reaching educational centers throughout the Canary Islands before the end of the current school year.
In turn, Quintero explained that “this initiative allows Primary students to gain knowledge about fishing in the Canary Islands, its traditional methods, the seabed, the species native to each island, and the importance of this activity for our primary sector”.
The counselor highlighted that the project “adapts to the fishing characteristics of each territory, showing boys and girls fishing gear and species linked to their closest environment”. In this regard, he pointed out that “we are not talking about an activity alien to our reality, but about a profession with history, with present and with future, deeply linked to the tradition, sustainability and food of the Canary Islands”.
Generational change and healthy eating
Likewise, one of the main objectives of "Fishing Educates" is to contribute to generational change, making students aware of fishing as a necessary, dignified profession with future possibilities.
The initiative also allows promoting the consumption of fresh local fish among the youngest, “a dietary habit that we must continue to promote for its nutritional value and for its importance to the economy of our brotherhoods and the fishing sector as a whole,” he added.
This action also combines traditional and artisanal fishing methods with new technologies, incorporating virtual reality experiences through immersive glasses that allow students to learn about the seabed of the Canary Islands and species such as tuna in a more visual and attractive way.
During the days, practical activities related to healthy eating are also developed, with the preparation of recipes with local fish, tastings, and explanations aimed at reducing rejection of this food among minors. In addition, notions about the nutritional value of fish and the importance of incorporating local fishing products into the diet are conveyed.
The participation of Carmen Soto, one of the few professional fisherwomen in the Canary Islands, should also be highlighted, who carries out important awareness work within the project, valuing the role of women in the fishing sector and contributing to making visible the female presence in a traditionally male-dominated profession.
The project is aimed at students from third to sixth grade of Primary School. At the end of each day, support material and templates are given to the students to carry out activities with their families with the aim of evaluating the learning acquired during the campaign and expanding the reach of the experience.
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