This year the Women in Seafood (WSI) video competition has been held for the third time and attracted 32 entries from 14 countries. Every one of them has behind it ‘a story worth sharing,’ according to the international jury tasked with selecting the winning entries.
‘This year the videos of very high standard pay a wonderful tribute to women working in the seafood sector,’ said WSI President Marie Christine Monfort.
‘Their commitment, their resilience and their love of their work are portrayed very convincingly. All actors in the videos, directors and real characters, should be warmly congratulated.
The first prize went to Galician film Women of the Arousa Sea. ‘Touching, Strong, positive, with context and showing diverse angles of women at sea,’ commented one jury member.
The second prize was awarded to Indian film Oyster farming in Wadatar.
Third prize went to a Peruvian entry, Truchas arapa, or The Aquaculture Women of Lake Arapa.
This third competition has received the support of the French Development Agency (AFD) and the International Association for Fish Inspectors. MATIS from Iceland, a loyal supporter of WSI, for the third year supplied the technical logistics.
‘The WSI video competition made me feel wonderful moments by navigating through the experiences of positive, tough and pro-active women from all over the world. Most are examples that should be shared, serving as models for engaging women in pro-active decisions and sustainable practices toward a better world,’ said Alpina Begossi, Professor at Ecomar/Unisanta in Brazil, one of the judges alongside UK journalist Nicki Holmyard, freelance ecological and fisheries economist and Soulfish director Cecile Brugere, Worldfish programme leader Pippa Cohen, fisheries and aquaculture consultant Izzat Feidi, Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association executive secretary Julius Francis and USAID Oceans gender integration specialist Arlene Nietes Satapornvanit.
‘The standard of all the films was high, and they demonstrated the many ways in which women are active throughout the seafood industry. There were happy tales and sad tales, tales of bravery and perseverance, and tales of the struggle against circumstance. A couple of films even brought a tear to my eye. All the women should be congratulated on their outstanding efforts; they left me in awe,’ commented Nicki Holmyard.
In addition, two excellence prizes were awarded. These went to Leadership des femmes transformatrices au Sénégal, described as an ‘Excellent video – great music and visuals, where women were at the front and innovations current and important.’
A second Excellence prize went to Peruvian film Women with Tradition.
Mexican film Mujeres del mar was given a special mention as a ‘Very good example of the work of a community in which women share experiences.’
A second special mention went to Galician film Mujeres a bordo, described as ‘an excellent lesson to those who do not believe that a woman can do it!’
‘We are happy to announce that the 2020 competition is open to entries and we look forward to receiving new wonderful testimonies from all over the world, making visible the often invisible yet paramount contribution of women to the seafood industry,’ Marie Christine Monfort concluded.
