Logline:

Fishermen in the Caribbean are desperately trying to adapt to climate change. This documentary film follows a crew of fishermen in Vieques as they need to navigate further into the open sea and risk their lives to catch sufficient amounts of fish in order to make a living. They are noticing that fish in the sea are quickly diminishing, and soon there will not be enough to consume.

Synopsis:

After hurricane María made landfall in the archipelago of Puerto Rico, not only the land was damaged, but also the sea. Fishermen from the Caribbean island of Vieques noticed a change in the seabed, which consequently affects fish populations and the catch they are able to get. Changes in weather patterns alongside with the contamination in sea left by 64 years of US Navy drills on Vieques makes the activity of fishing even more challenging. “Farmers of the Sea” follows the daily life of commercial and recreational fishermen as they adapt to a new threat: climate change.

Pedro is an artisanal fisherman who fishes with pots. He constructs his pots to catch lobsters, and now needs to build more pots and venture further into the sea with his fishing crew to find the necessary lobsters to make a living to sustain his family. On the other hand, Cecilia, an older woman, goes into the pier with her partner to fish as a form of therapy, but notices that the number of fish she’s able to get is declining. She spends long hours with her rod, hoping to get the same amount she did when she was younger. Meanwhile younger generations of Viequenses dream of becoming fishermen.