Q & A
Interview with Carmen, member of the Board of Directors of APROCUS (Asociación de Pescadores La Rosita Cuero y Salado), and of the fishers’ group, Los Delfines, in the La Rosita Community on the Caribbean coast of Honduras
By Norman Flores (normanhn@gmail.com) and Vivienne Solis Rivera (vsolis@coopesolidar.org)
Please tell us something about yourself.
I am a woman fishworker from the Caribbean coast of Honduras. I live with my family, friends and neighbours as part of a coastal community in the region. I love and enjoy my life here and will never leave my community.
What do you see as the most important issues for your struggle?
I see the principal fight of women fishworkers as towards forming community organizations and engaging in a permanent struggle for their rights. Good communication skills are essential for generating plans and ideas, and engaging with the community. My own efforts in setting up a Centre for Fish Storage within the community were successful only because I was able to communicate ideas well with others in the community.
I benefitted from participating in the meeting organized by ICSF in India in 2014 (the Pondy Workshop on SSF Guidelines). I found the experience very enriching in terms of meeting new people from fishing communities and sharing experiences with other women.
What have you learnt from your experience in the fisheries sector?
It is necessary for activists to recognize the many sacrifices that fishers, both men and women, make in their daily lives to strengthen their communities and improve their lives.
What are your plans for the future?
Our plans are focused on being able to develop productive and sustainable fishing, and building access to local and regional markets for fish. We need to care for our rich marine resources so that our children can keep using them.
