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The Fishermen Association of San Pedro groups the arrantzale (fishermen) that work within the vessels under this association. The Association adapted its bases according to law 16/1998 of Fishermen Associations, issued under the resolution by the Agriculture and Fishing Department, dated 11/09/2001.
Serving the needs of the Association’s members is the maximum vocation of this non profit making organization. Provisions, spares, ice, assessment, institutional representation etc. The Association works for the fishermen to be as well prepared as possible for their hard professional task, grouping their interests and requirements.
Downloads, capture auction, ice and oil supply as well as the rest of port services are carried out at the Association facilities. |
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 HISTORY
The Fishermen Association of San Pedro was born in 1,361. Formerly there was an existing large fishing activity, but this was the year when the authorities gave recognitition to the entity.
Since then on, there have been several different fish sales markets. The present one was inaugurated at 1997. |
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Hunt of the whale
First historic data of whale hunt indicate that Basque fishermen were pioneers on this activity. The first documents on respect of this subject are dated 31st December 1200, when King Alfonso VII asked the Basque “arrantzale” a whale every year.
Despite there are not too many data, whale hunt seems to have been firmly established at our fishermen’s lives, probed by the big amount of related images appearing on that age coats of arms.
A document stamp from Hondarribia, dated 1335, is kept at Paris’s National Archive. There are fishermen harpooning a whale in that stamp, in a similar way that the ones appearing on the Association’s coat of arms.
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ASSOCIATION’S GOVERMENT BOARD
General Assembly
This is the main organ of member representation and managing organs. The assembly is composed by the representatives of the skippers and of the workers, following a criteria of equal representation for both parties.
Managing board
This is the direction, administration and management organ of the Association. It is constituted by the President (Abad Mayor), vice-President and a number of members from the General Assembly, elected by it, being no more than 14 and no less than 4, and according to the same criteria of equal representation. The Administration Secretary of the Assembly holds same position in the Managing Board, with the right to speak but without vote. The term of office in the Managing Board is for 4 years.
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TRADITION
In a yearly basis, and for many years, the Association keeps on celebrating the following traditions:
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 San Pedro Apóstol Festivity (29th June)
Every year, on 29th June, the members of the General Assembly and the Managing Board used to go on procession from the Arch of the Fishermen Brotherhood to the Church of Hondarribia, where the elections for the Managing Board were celebrated.
Nowadays, this tradition is still maintained. However, the elections are issued every 4 years at the Association’s building, due to fleet requirements. |
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Virgen del Carmen Festivity (16th July)
This celebration consisted on a maritime procession, with one of the Associations boats carrying on the Image of Virgen del Carmen on board, from Hondarribia port to the bay, where a flower offer was done to honour those seamen lost in sea.
This offer was undone for some years, but now it has been recovered.
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Santiago Apóstol Festivity (25th July)
Same with the San Pedro Festivity, there is a procession from the Arch of the Fishermen Brotherhood to Hondarribia Church. In this festivity, a young girl, daughter of one of the fishermen, chosen by the Abad Mayor, is carrying the chest containing the Annual Accounts. Once in the church, the results of the past fishing campaign are read in front of the authorities.
Following, every 4 year, in the same place, the new members of the Managing Board take possession of their charges.
Once the act is finished, the retinue returns to the Arch of the Brotherhood, accompanied by a music band, and the young carrier starts a rite of prosperity, by spinning with the chest on her head. According to the tradition, the many the spins, the most fruitful the new campaign.
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Christmas Present (medium December)
This is a really ancient tradition. In the beginning, the target was helping the fishermen in crisis, by presenting 5 kg of codfish and 7 litres of oil, so that their familias had some mean of happiness during Christmas.
Nowadays, despite not being any need, the tradition is maintained.
Christmas Eve Mass celebration (24th December)
On 24th December, at 9 in the morning, a Mass is celebrated at Guadalupe Sanctuary, where all arrantzales (fishermen) go, followed by a fast appetizer.
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