FAO Digital Media Hub - SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE / SMALL FISHERIES

Hide details

Explore More Collections

Conceptually similar

Sao Tome and Principe: Artisanal Fisheries

ZIMBABWE 2023. World Wildlife Day

GAZA / COLLAPSE OF THE FISHERIES SECTOR

Tunisia Women Clam harvesters

FAO / ANIMAL FODDER DISTRIBUTION IN GAZA

Turning fish into fashion - Promoting Blue Fashion to support livelihoods in Kenya

Desert Locust in Kenya VNR

Sustainable Fisheries in the Pacific Islands

SOFA Report 2022 Automation in Agriculture

ETHIOPIA 2017. Sustainable Forestry: a Safety-Net for Gambella Refugees and Host Communities

STATE OF FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE (SOFIA) 2022 REPORT

VNR Fight IUU Thailand

FAO’S SUPPORT TO BUILD CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN SOMALIA

Escalation of food insecurity and malnutrition in Ethiopia

Enhanced Resilience for Syrian Refugees and Host Communities in South-Eastern Turkey

FAO / AGRIFOOD SYSTEMS SOLUTIONS ARE CLIMATE SOLUTIONS

Ethiopia: Drought Response

Desert Locust in Horn of Africa and Yemen - Control Operations in Ethiopia Somali Region

Desert Locust in Kenya - Support to Farmers in Turkana County VNR

FAO: Working together towards responsible antimicrobial use

Add to collection

Download

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE / SMALL FISHERIES

In São Tomé and Príncipe, a FAO-implemented programme is helping fishers and fishmongers to maximize economic returns and social benefits while minimizing the negative impacts on natural habitats and marine wildlife.

Language English

Country Sao Tome and Principe

Duration 4m29s

Edit Version International

Video Type Video News Release (VNR)

Date 06/06/2025

File size 592.61 MB

Unique ID UF1A407

Production details and shotlist

Shotlist STORY: FAO / SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE SMALL FISHERIES
TRT: 4:29
SOURCE: FAO
RESTRICTIONS: CREDIT FAO ON SCREEN
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / PORTUGUESE / NATS

DATELINE: 6-13 MAY 2025, ABADE / SANTO ANTONIO / SAO TOME, SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

Shotlist
6 MAY, ABADE, PRINCIPE

1. Aerial shot, Abade
2. Aerial sot, boats on beach
3. Various shots, people pushing a boat
4. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Paola Afè Do Espiritu Afonso, fishmonger:
“I have a boat which fishers use to go to the sea. I give them ice, petrol, fishing gears, and they're the ones going to fish. The following morning, when they come back, I gut the fish, add salt and store it. I also clean the fresh fish and store it in the fridge. That's my business"
5. Various shots, weighing fish on a beach
6. Wide shot, Paola checking drying fish
7. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Paola Afè Do Espiritu Afonso, fishmonger:
“[This fish business] is the best solution I found to sustain my family and children. When the boat arrives, I go to the beach, get some [fresh] fish and I sell it in the market, so my money grows a bit. When I return home, I salt and dry the rest [of the catch] and sell it in the market, and money continues growing. This is how I adapted, the way I found to sustain my children and family. For me, it is a good business”
8. Various shots, Olavio and fishers in training
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Olavio Anibal, National Professional Officer, FISH4ACP Sao Tome and Principe:
“The target goal for us in this project is to teach them how to make a business plan, which they will present it to a bank. With the deposit from their savings which will constitute a guarantee, the bank will finance them [based] on the good business plan they will present.

8 MAY, ABADE, PRINCIPE

10. Various shots, Paola making deposit at the bank
11. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Paola Afè Do Espiritu Afonso, fishmonger:
“It is the third time I make the deposit in the bank, three times that I gather the money [from other fishers] and make the deposit. If the bank tells me to make a deposit in a specific day, or a specific amount, I’ll be able to gather from the community and do it. This is the way we want to work”.
12. Various shots, Paola at the bank

7 MAY, ABADE, PRINCIPE

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Francisco Piedade, CEO Banco Internacional de Sao Tome e Principe:
“It’s part social responsibility of the bank, but it is also a long-term bet that in the future these people will become businessmen in this country. When the small fisheries, for instance, start buying new boats, having different bargaining power, well, they will remember who helped them at their beginning.”

12 MAY, SAO TOME CITY, SAO TOME ISLAND

14. Various shots, two fishermen in a small boat casting a net

SAO TOME

15. Various shots, fish market

Script In São Tomé and Príncipe, a FAO-implemented programme is helping fishers and fishmongers to maximize economic returns and social benefits while minimizing the negative impacts on natural habitats and marine wildlife.

Early in the morning, Paula goes to the beach in her village of Abade on Príncipe Island to get freshly caught fish.
Having spent the whole night fishing, the fishermen return with bonito, barracuda, pargo, vermelho, and corvina.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Paola Afè Do Espiritu Afonso, fishmonger:
“I have a boat that the fishers use to go out to sea. I give them ice, petrol, and fishing gear, and they are the ones who go fishing. The next morning, when they return, I cut the fish, add salt, and store it. I also clean the fresh fish and keep it in the fridge. That's my business.”

Paola sells some of the fresh catch locally, but the bulk is processed and sold at the fish market in the capital, on São Tomé Island.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Paola Afè Do Espiritu Afonso, fishmonger:
“This fish business is the best solution I found to support my family and children. When the boat arrives, I go to the beach, get some fresh fish, and sell it in the market, so my money grows a bit. When I return home, I salt and dry the rest of the catch and sell it in the market, and the money continues to grow. This is how I adapted — the way I found to sustain my children and family. For me, it is a good business.”

Fish is the main source of protein for the people of São Tomé and Príncipe, an island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, over 200 km off the coast of Gabon. The fisheries sector provides jobs for thousands and is the most important source of revenue for low-income families after cocoa.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) works with twelve fisheries and aquaculture value chains across African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries to maximize economic returns and social benefits while minimizing the negative impacts on natural habitats and marine wildlife.

The program, called FISH4ACP, pays special attention to small and medium-sized businesses because of their potential to deliver economic and social benefits, particularly for women and youth.

SOUNDBITE (English) Olavio Anibal, National Professional Officer, FISH4ACP Sao Tome and Principe:
“The target goal for us in this project is to teach them how to make a business plan, which they will present to a bank. With a deposit from their savings, which will serve as a guarantee, the bank will finance them based on the solid business plan they present.”

Together with other women from Abade, Paula is part of a group of fishmongers who pool their money to cover expenses and save. Every week, Paula, who is the group’s treasurer, deposits money in the bank.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Paola Afè Do Espiritu Afonso, fishmonger:
“This is the third time I’ve made a deposit in the bank — three times I’ve gathered the money from other fishers and made the deposit. If the bank asks me to deposit on a specific day or for a specific amount, I’ll be able to collect it from the community and do it. This is the way we want to work.”

In the capital, São Tomé, Francisco Piedade, CEO of BISTP (Banco Internacional de São Tomé e Príncipe), says his bank recognizes the potential of fishmonger groups to grow and is ready to support them financially.

SOUNDBITE (English) Francisco Piedade, CEO, Banco Internacional de São Tomé e Príncipe:
“It’s part of the bank’s social responsibility, but it’s also a long-term bet that, in the future, these people will become business leaders in this country. When the small fisheries, for instance, start buying new boats and gaining stronger bargaining power, they’ll remember who helped them at the beginning.”

Fisheries in São Tomé and Príncipe are exclusively artisanal and largely focused on small pelagic species. The sector holds great potential for growth in production, processing, and marketing but is hampered by the country’s relative isolation, a major obstacle in accessing export markets.

FISH4ACP aims to improve the processing and quality control standards of small pelagics to create jobs and income opportunities for the island's predominantly young population.

Led by the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) FISH4ACP is implemented by FAO with funding from the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Library

FAO OCC

Video Team

FAO Video 2023 / 2024 / 2025

FAO Field Projects

By Country - FAO Field Projects

Sao Tome and Principe

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE / SMALL FISHERIES

(Standard Video)

Alternative Versions and Supporting Documents

Find different versions and transcription documents to download