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Photo: Leia Onofrey
“Restrictions in the fishing industry affect all of us who work around the marine industry … the less time they spend out on the water, means fewer repairs they need, which ultimately affects us all.”
Silvino “Sal” Sequeira
Sal is a Cape Verdean-American welder at Blue Fleet Welding Company in New Bedford, MA. In this excerpt, he describes growing up in Praia on the Island of Santiago, Cape Verde and in Portugal and immigrating to the U.S. Here, he learned submerged arc welding (SAW) at a factory and then transferred those skills to repair commercial fishing boats. He describes going to night school at New Bedford High School to earn his high school diploma and the importance of continual learning and growth. He touches on the way fishing regulations affect shoresidebusinesses like Blue Fleet Welding.
This interview was originally conducted in Kriolu.
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Background Information:
Sal was born in Cape Verde but immigrated to Portugal as a child and then to the U.S. Cape Verde, 10 islands off the coast of Senegal, gained its independence from Portugal on July 5, 1975. There are more Cape Verdeans living outside of the country than in it and Massachusetts is home to the largest Cape Verdean diaspora with 10% of New Bedford residents identifying as Cape Verdean. In his interview, Sal talks about learning submerged arc welding (SAW), a process which is used to join large, heavy pieces of metal. He also mentions the ripple effect that fishing regulations have on shoreside businesses. The fewer days the boats are allowed to fish, the less the gear requires repair or replacement.
