249
13 Gender in Galician Shell-Fisheries: Transforming for Governability
contribution to the management of the cofradías (a percentage of the catches)
in comparison to fi shers on boats served to justify situations of gender discrimination.
This attitude can be explained by the fact that cofradías were established by the
guilds to protect fi shermen, and many did not consider shell fi sh gathering as fi shing
at all. Disregard for women in fi shing was widespread, as was resistance to women
entering organizations traditionally reserved for men. Many cofradías barred
shell fi sh gatherers and, in the event of admittance, they refused them the right to
vote (Marugán Pintos 2004 ) .
The situation began to change after 1995, when the regional fi sheries administration
modi fi ed their position towards mariscadoras . The arrival of new administrative
staff, many of who were women, played a crucial role in mariscadoras’ empowerment and in shell fi sh management. “When I arrived at the fi sheries administration I
listened to them (mariscadoras) and felt concerned. My general director was a
woman” (Pencha Santamarinas, quoted in Frangoudes et al. 2005 , 12). The presence
of women with an awareness of the need for equality in the management (or at the
head) of the fi sheries administration constituted a key factor for the improvements
to the situation of the mariscadoras . The fi sheries administration strove for a better
understanding of the situation by spending time with shell fi sh gatherers and discussing issues that concerned them. In 1994, there were an estimated number of
9,263 persons with exploitation permits, 90% women or mariscadoras .
These female civil servants were supported by politicians in the regional fi sheries
administration and collaborated with other in fl uential public servants well versed in
the problems in question. Their combined efforts aimed to put an end to the con fl icts
between rival mariscadoras within the community. The fi rst priority was to professionalize the sector, regulate resource use and terminate con fl icts between women.
First and foremost, resource depletion needed to be addressed and, secondly, the
mariscadoras needed to be organized and protected. With these goals in mind, a
regional meeting of Galician mariscadoras was organized in 1995. The regional
fi sheries administration ( Consellería) was, however, attempting to disrupt the prevailing power structure within the fi sheries sector and, instead of consulting representatives from the male-dominated cofradías , they sought advice directly from
women shell fi shers. The public servants and politicians leading the change in regional
fi sheries administration were convinced that the provision of vocational training for
mariscadoras was vital for improving their situation. Training would enable women
to view their activity as employment and not as a marginal activity. Moreover, it
would allow them to collaborate actively in resource management. In summary, the
key actors in the regional fi sheries administration opened a dialogue with mariscadoras based on mutual trust that would prove to be productive in the short term.
The administrators believed the mariscadoras should take the initiative and
formulate their own training needs. The main challenge, however, was to fi nd a way
to convince shell fi sh gatherers to meet and discuss the future of their activity and
to identify their needs without being entangled in the con fl icts between women
within—or between—communities. Experience showed that when meetings were
organized during a crisis period, the discussion would always focus on the immediate
problem and not on ideas about the future.
13 Gender in Galician Shell-Fisheries: Transforming for Governability
contribution to the management of the cofradías (a percentage of the catches)
in comparison to fi shers on boats served to justify situations of gender discrimination.
This attitude can be explained by the fact that cofradías were established by the
guilds to protect fi shermen, and many did not consider shell fi sh gathering as fi shing
at all. Disregard for women in fi shing was widespread, as was resistance to women
entering organizations traditionally reserved for men. Many cofradías barred
shell fi sh gatherers and, in the event of admittance, they refused them the right to
vote (Marugán Pintos 2004 ) .
The situation began to change after 1995, when the regional fi sheries administration
modi fi ed their position towards mariscadoras . The arrival of new administrative
staff, many of who were women, played a crucial role in mariscadoras’ empowerment and in shell fi sh management. “When I arrived at the fi sheries administration I
listened to them (mariscadoras) and felt concerned. My general director was a
woman” (Pencha Santamarinas, quoted in Frangoudes et al. 2005 , 12). The presence
of women with an awareness of the need for equality in the management (or at the
head) of the fi sheries administration constituted a key factor for the improvements
to the situation of the mariscadoras . The fi sheries administration strove for a better
understanding of the situation by spending time with shell fi sh gatherers and discussing issues that concerned them. In 1994, there were an estimated number of
9,263 persons with exploitation permits, 90% women or mariscadoras .
These female civil servants were supported by politicians in the regional fi sheries
administration and collaborated with other in fl uential public servants well versed in
the problems in question. Their combined efforts aimed to put an end to the con fl icts
between rival mariscadoras within the community. The fi rst priority was to professionalize the sector, regulate resource use and terminate con fl icts between women.
First and foremost, resource depletion needed to be addressed and, secondly, the
mariscadoras needed to be organized and protected. With these goals in mind, a
regional meeting of Galician mariscadoras was organized in 1995. The regional
fi sheries administration ( Consellería) was, however, attempting to disrupt the prevailing power structure within the fi sheries sector and, instead of consulting representatives from the male-dominated cofradías , they sought advice directly from
women shell fi shers. The public servants and politicians leading the change in regional
fi sheries administration were convinced that the provision of vocational training for
mariscadoras was vital for improving their situation. Training would enable women
to view their activity as employment and not as a marginal activity. Moreover, it
would allow them to collaborate actively in resource management. In summary, the
key actors in the regional fi sheries administration opened a dialogue with mariscadoras based on mutual trust that would prove to be productive in the short term.
The administrators believed the mariscadoras should take the initiative and
formulate their own training needs. The main challenge, however, was to fi nd a way
to convince shell fi sh gatherers to meet and discuss the future of their activity and
to identify their needs without being entangled in the con fl icts between women
within—or between—communities. Experience showed that when meetings were
organized during a crisis period, the discussion would always focus on the immediate
problem and not on ideas about the future.