At the Fishing School of Lanzarote, you can study practically any technical profession related to the naval and fishing sector, but in addition to training in all the technological elements, pattern-making students also learn to navigate through the stars. While the North Star, the Big Dipper, and Cassiopeia mark the north-south axis, Orion, in the winter mornings, defines the east-west line.
In an interview with Carmen Déniz de León, director of the center and professor of Marine Biology, we discovered how the School works, its history, its main professional opportunities, and its growing practical and international content.
"Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have trained Mauritanian, Moroccan, Cape Verdean students... Now there is a reverse project in Senegal"
A Leading School in the Atlantic
In the late 1930s, "Arrecife was the most important port in Europe for sardine fishing, thanks to the Canary-Saharan bank, so it was decided that the school should be here. I emphasize this because sometimes people find it strange that we are in Lanzarote," shares Déniz.
Until the 1980s, there were only six fishing education centers in Spain, dependent on the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries of the Government of Spain. Specifically in Vigo, Gijón, Pasajes (Vizcaya), Alicante, Cádiz, and Lanzarote. With the emergence of the autonomous communities, the centers were transferred to the regional governments, which opened more centers.
The Fishing School of Lanzarote has traditionally been a reference point in the Atlantic and in connection with Africa. Years ago, "through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mauritanian, Moroccan, Cape Verdean students were trained..." explains the director.
"Now there is a reverse project, from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries with Senegal, to see what training needs their fishermen have. The idea is to provide part of the training there and finish the training here," she reveals.
"In bridge and engine, we have had a waiting list of 100 people"
More and More Students and More Women
After the last economic crisis, "there has been a turnaround, people who were altruistically dedicated to the marine environment decided to come and get their coastal skipper's license, or their training cycle, and from there our cycles are overflowing."
We have three intermediate cycles and three higher cycles with branches in bridge, engine, diving, and aquaculture. In the bridge and engine cycles, we have had a waiting list of 100 people, so two years ago they authorized a second group of high-seas skippers (bridge).
"Due to its origin, fishing was associated with strength, but technology has made that more than obsolete."
In training cycles, the School has around 220 students, while in the small courses it reaches up to 1,000 students per year. And there are people of all ages. Enrollment costs 1.12 euros, and it is free for those over 28 years old.
However, the student body is still predominantly male. "Due to its origin, fishing was associated with strength, but technology has made that more than obsolete."
The School launched the 'Women on Board' campaign in 2022 to expand its female student body. This year, as of September 3, out of the 191 people enrolled, 18 were women. "The gap is significant, but there were courses in which there were no women," explains the director.
"Right now (in the naval sector) there is a great shortage of mechanics"
Courses Whose Students Exceed 90% Placement
The decline of fishing in Lanzarote in recent decades is also reflected in the professional opportunities of the students. "Much to my regret, because I like the marine biology and fisheries biology part, I don't think that 20% of them are dedicated to the fishing sector," shares Déniz.
However, there is no shortage of work. "When they do their internships, many of them stay in the companies, the placement rate is very high, always above 80%, although there are courses that exceed 90-something percent. It fluctuates, right now there is a great shortage of mechanics."
Dual Vocational Training and Erasmus
"This year, as a novelty, we are starting dual vocational training, which is starting throughout Spain, and it is a challenge for the maritime-fishing professional family. Fortunately, in Lanzarote we have a good relationship with the sector on the island, in the Canary Islands, and also abroad," explains Déniz.
"In July, I met with the main companies in the sector to explain to them that it is no longer just that students go to do internships when the course ends, but that at the end of each module there is a practical part that will be given on a ship," she adds.
Asked about the origin of her students, Déniz explains that for the fishing captain courses, "there are Canarians, but most are Basques and Galicians."
In addition, the center trains "many foreign students, because they live here or because they come to do the training. This year we have Greeks, Croatians, Irish..."
"We have some bilingual modules, and at the end of last year we obtained accreditation for the Erasmus program, so from now on, our students will be able to do internships and training in Europe," she celebrates.