Virtual Reality brings fishing trades closer to youngsters

Pesca España, the national Association of Fishing Producers' Organisations, presents 'Puerto de Felicidad', an immersive experience in schools with the aim of promoting the fishing trades at an early age.

The initiative aims to allow children to discover the activities of the sea from a playful and fun point of view, using tools such as Virtual Reality, among other activities, to get their attention.

Puerto de Felicidad' will start on the 24th of May in the Asturian town of Ribadesella and, from September, it will travel around different coastal towns in the Basque Country, Asturias, Galicia and Andalusia, where fishing is strategic for the economy and local development, as an activity that generates wealth and provides the backbone of the territory.

Currently, one of the main problems facing the fishing sector is the lack of generational replacement: only 27% of workers are under 40 years old and 42% are over 50 years old. In fact, at the end of 2022, only 8% of the affiliated workers were under 30 years old, and 18% were between 30 and 39 years old, according to data from the Spanish Social and Economic Council, 2023.

In this context, Pesca España is firmly committed to promoting initiatives such as this one, whose main aim is to highlight the possibilities for development and employment opportunities that the sea offers for all ages and to promote generational change.

In the words of Antonio Nieto, Manager of Pesca España: "With this project we want to present the activities at sea from an educational but also attractive point of view, so that the youngest can discover that fishing can be an exciting and different profession. Our mission is to defend fishing and promote generational change and what better way than through technology so that the younger generations can experience the different professions of the sea".

First Virtual Reality experience in Ribadesella The 'Puerto Felicidad' initiative, launched by Pesca España with the collaboration of the non-profit association Educación Azul, starts on the 24th of May in the Asturian town of Ribadesella, where around a hundred students in 4th, 5th and 6th grades of primary school from two educational centres will enjoy different activities. In this way, the little ones will become the real protagonists, having the opportunity to learn from the different roles that exist within a fishing boat, to experience a dynamic fishing game and a Virtual Reality experience.

Mercedes Pardo, President of Educación Azul, says: "We are delighted to launch a project as attractive as this one, hand in hand with Pesca España. Our objectives are common: to discover and encourage activities at sea, promoting generational change in the maritime environment, in this case, in the world of fishing, where this situation is complicated. At Educación Azul we work to ensure that children and young people do not forget that there are trades in the sea that allow personal and professional development that contribute to the economy of their localities and, of course, of the country".

With the help of different characters relevant to the sector such as Sailor Pepe Mareas, Captain Estrella and Machinist Maqui Motores, the schoolchildren will have contact with the fishing trades and learn about their importance for the economy and progress. In addition, there will also be time for a fish auction, thus getting to know one of the tasks that arouses most interest when visiting a fishing port.