7 July, 2025
On June 27th, the photo exhibition “A Day of Fishing: Views on Purse Seine Fishing” was inaugurated at the Docapesca, in Figueira da Foz, Portugal. The exhibition pays tribute to the local fishing community and the crew of the vessel Virgem Dolorosa, which tragically sank in 2024.
The photographs were taken during ongoing collaboration between the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA) and local purse seine crews, as part of the LIFE PanPuffinus! project. The project aims to protect the Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), Europe’s most threatened seabird, by working closely with fishers to reduce bycatch. Conservation efforts have focused on the Aveiro–Nazaré Special Protection Area, the most important site in Portugal for this species.
The opening event was attended by the port captain, representatives from the fishing sector, local government, universities and families of the victims. Following brief speeches by SPEA and the local fishers’ association, a moving poem was recited, honouring the sea, seabirds, and the lives of those who work on it.
Organised by SPEA and DOCAPESCA, with support from the local association Nazaré Marés de Maio, the exhibition will travel to other ports involved in the LIFE PanPuffinus! project, including Aveiro and Nazaré, throughout 2025.
This corresponds to the itinerant exhibition planned under Action E1 of the project. Through this itinerant exhibition, the project continues to raise awareness and foster cooperation with fishers across the region — an essential step towards more sustainable seas.
