Artesanía de Galicia - POTSFINK

stand up and do the same repetitive movements, and when one getsto fifty we go on to the smaller nets.What are the smaller nets?They are nets made of cloths that are tied to a rope and that aremainly used in shallow water fishing. They used to get repairedwhen they came back from the sea damaged, but now the quickestand most economical thing to do is to take the cloths of and tie somenew ones on. You save a lot of time. Before you used to spend thewhole day repairing the mesh and now you can change several inone day.What materials do you use to make the nets?Depending on the thickness of the mesh you use one string or another.Those that are for Gran Sol have plastic strings that can be usedand taken off. When it is to tie up (to attach the cloths to a rope) youcan’t use these strings because they slip, being plastic. Mostly wework with synthetic materials, but we still use cotton for the long linethreads because we need them to keep really tight.Has there been an evolution in the materials over recentyears?They’ve been modified, but the net is still the same. The materialsare more accessible and more resistant, but the manual work isstill the same. The mesh has to be treated in the same way with thesame steps.You have had the chance to exchange knowledge withother net-makers in the Basque Country. Are the netsmade in the same way here in Galicia as in the rest ofthe Cantabrian cornice?It’s the same. Indeed, we make a lot of long line nets here for theBasque Country. The intermediaries and the chandlers give us a lotof commissions for work for abroad, as Galicia is the place wherewe make more nets. We work for the Basque Country and Asturias,but also for France, Argentina and Chile...Is the business going to do well in the future or will ittail off?It’s not going to be lost because it is a craft. Until they invent machinesto replace us, and maybe they will, handwork will be necessary.Can there be nets without net-makers?The fishermen also work with the nets on the boats, and when thebad weather comes there is no work for us but just for them. Thosewho work in shallow water fishing, when they have to stay on land,occupy themselves repairing the nets, and so they save money. Ifthey have to go to sea next day they need to rest and so then wehave more work. In the case of the fishermen who go to Gran Sol,who take at best two thousand nets on each ship, they give us thework to do over a fortnight and we have to work all the hours possible.When they have less quantity they themselves repair the nets.How important is it for you to hold live exhibitions, likeyou did at the MOA?Many people leave this when they can’t make a living, and nowwe are going to diversify our activity. Just like we showed our workat the MOA, we want to go to schools to teach our work to youngpeople, because we believe that it also good for the young peopleto know it. What we do is a part of Galician culture, and wassomewhere in the background without anyone realizing that thesewomen were here doing this work. The important thing is not onlywhat you are earning, it is what you can transmit to people who areinterested in your work at events like the MOA. There were groupsof people who wanted me to explain what we did to them. Whenwe eat fish we don’t ask where it came from and we don’t knowwhat the nets are like, or how they are used. Even older people aresurprised by what we explain to them. It is important for the worldof the sea to be present in these fairs, and we thank the MOA forthinking of us.Your movement has a good deal of feminist complaint...The situation has evolved, and the women themselves have achievedmany rights for which we had to fight, but we still have a lot to do.It is like men have to bring the money home and that we do, if wecan do so, it’s even better, but the fact is that work is there for men.Fortunately this is changing. Women are getting on to the labourmarket, and our professional labour has to be recognised.Were you able to convince them that in the small fishingvillages there is work for them?Of course there is work! Indeed there is someone who does it. Whatis not normal is that there is so little work officially registered in billsto the Treasury if there is so much work going on. The undergroundeconomy has to come to the surface sometime.Are you managing to get young people into your activity?Young people are needed, like in all jobs, because we have theexperience, but young people have a great deal to offer. When youpass things on to other people you see things that you have missedbecause you are fed up of doing the same work all the time. Youngpeople bring you freshness, they liven you up, and that is necessary.30