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Spain鈥檚 fearless barnacle-hunting sisters

Isabel and Susana Gonz谩lez risk their lives to collect barnacles along Spain鈥檚 coastline. But they also faced death threats when they stood up to the patriarchy of their industry.

Isabel and Susana Gonz谩lez hunt percebes, also known as gooseneck barnacles. They鈥檙e rather ugly crustaceans that can fetch thousands of dollars per kilogram at auction. To collect them, the Gonz谩lez sisters must traverse slippery rocks along the Spanish coastline where they risk falling and drowning. Many hunters have lost their lives doing this job.

But this isn鈥檛 the only danger the sisters have faced in their line of work. When they began there was a lot of discrimination against women, including the fact that they could only catch three kilograms per day, while men had a quota of five. This system was regulated by an association. The sisters figured the only way to achieve equality was to become part of the management of the association. When Susana ran for the president position, she faced death threats. But still, they managed to revolutionise their whole industry.

Reporter: Pablo Esparza Altuna
Producer: Saskia Edwards

Picture: Isabel Gonz谩lez collecting barnacles
Credit: Pablo Esparza Altuna

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27 minutes

Last on

Sun 1 Sep 2019 09:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 31 Aug 2019 22:32GMT
  • Sun 1 Sep 2019 09:32GMT

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