The General Assemblies of Bizkaia continue to provide a platform for the women who, in the past, contributed through their work to the progress of the territory. On this occasion, the Biscayan Chamber, coinciding with the upcoming celebration of March 8th, is paying tribute to the work of female fish canners with the publication of a book and the setup of an exhibition. These women have been dedicated to processing fish in the port markets of the territory since the 16th century. With their strength, determination, and perseverance, they became, without knowing it, fundamental pieces in the economic development of Bizkaia for centuries. However, as in many other trades where women played a crucial role, their work was largely invisible to society.

In recent years, driven by its Equality Plan, the Parliament of Bizkaia has been working to recognize and highlight the labor performed by women, whether in socially accepted roles or in others that received less recognition. Last year, the initiative focused on the work of port cargo women. This year, the spotlight is on female fish canners, a profession that, for five centuries, was carried out predominantly by women—just like the sirgueras who pulled boats along the estuary, the factory workers who toiled in Bizkaia’s industries after the Civil War, or the baserritarras who worked the land. All these professions have been subjects of research, publications, and exhibitions promoted by the General Assemblies of Bizkaia.

The exhibition “By Vocation: Canner” seeks to rescue this profession from oblivion, recognizing it as an integral part of the lives of many generations of women. Thanks to documentation and, especially, the study conducted by Amaia Apraiz Sahagún and María Romano Vallejo, we now know that there have been female fish canners since the 16th century. While the profession still exists, improved working conditions and technological advances have significantly changed the nature of the work.

On Tuesday, March 11th, the authors of this study will give a talk at 6:30 p.m. in the Conference Room of the General Assemblies, where they will personally share the history of the fish canners documented in their book. After the talk, there will be a guided tour of the exhibition hall. Admission is free until capacity is reached.

The Biscayan Chamber has compiled photographs, documents, lithographs, a reproduction of a painting, a video with testimonials, and various tools (work utensils, nets, clothing, etc.) to showcase the significance of this profession for the survival of the fishing port economy in Bizkaia. The materials on display are part of the research conducted by Apraiz and Romano, cultural heritage experts, and compiled in their book “The Women of the Canning Industry. By Vocation: Canner”.

The authors have received support from various public and private entities, which have generously contributed materials for the project. These include the Campos, Zallo, Arroyabe, Ortiz, Serrats, and Olasagasti canneries, as well as the Museum of Fine Arts, the Basque Museum, Arrantzaleen Museoa, the Historical Archive of Bizkaia, the Kaia Elkartea Association of Santurtzi, the Garavilla family, the family of Jon Fernández García de Iturrospe (Santurtzi), and Iñaki Markaida.

During the presentation of the exhibition, which will remain open in Bilbao until April 25th, the President of the General Assemblies of Bizkaia, Ana Otadui Biteri, emphasized that this initiative aims to highlight the real contributions of women throughout history, granting them the visibility they have long been denied. The General Assemblies of Bizkaia have always sought to be close to the society they represent, and beyond their legislative function, they have adopted a dynamic approach to engage with the community by supporting projects that go beyond legislation, covering art, history, heritage, and, in recent years, the fight for real and effective gender equality.

The authors of the study, which also includes an audiovisual piece with testimonies from nine fish canners from Ondarroa, highlight in the book’s prologue that the voice of the women of the canning industry “remains alive. They are the industrial backbone of the sector, demonstrating that we are all part of the country’s progress.” With a gender perspective, the authors have combined archival research with the voices and memories of women from coastal municipalities. The contributions of former workers from various companies along the Biscayan coast have been crucial in reconstructing a history deeply rooted in the past, yet looking toward the future.

This cultural initiative is part of the General Assemblies of Bizkaia’s Equality Plan, a roadmap with specific actions to promote equal treatment between men and women, which has been supported by all political parties. The Parliament of Bizkaia was the second legislative body in Spain—following the Parliament of Navarra—to approve an equality plan at the national level. One of its actions is to highlight the role of women in the progress of Bizkaia.

A Poem by Kirmen Uribe

The publication includes a poem by Kirmen Uribe, a writer from Ondarroa, whose family has had several generations of female fish canners.

WOMEN RETURNING FROM THE FACTORY

My grandmother worked in the canning factory.
So did my mother and my aunts.
They were workers, not housewives.
Or maybe they were both.

I liked the smell they brought home
after work.
The smell of fish, sweat, and brine.
Though they hated it.

That smell, so hard to wash away, so hard to forget.

The women in my house worked in the factory
and then, at home.
They cleaned anchovies on the kitchen table
while I played under it.

If I was lucky, they’d let me taste one.
Even my sandwiches were made of anchovies.
I preferred them to sausage or chocolate,
though my friends laughed at me.

Those were different times.
Back then, women sang in the factories,
and the bosses gave them permission
to breastfeed their babies.

Women took their break at the same time.
In their work clothes, leaning against the stone wall,
they soaked up the sun or smoked, their eyes closed.

For them, it was a moment of peace,
a moment to forget work,
their husbands, their children.

Today, after so many years,
I close my eyes too,
searching for that same peace they had.

I open my mouth, as if waiting
for a woman’s hand to gift me
an anchovy fillet.

That gift that came from above the table
while I played below.

Alone, because they had to work.

The exhibition

The exhibition features photographs, documents, a reproduction of a painting, a video with testimonies, and various tools (work utensils, nets, baskets, clothing, graphic materials, etc.).

It will remain open until April 25th in the General Assemblies’ exhibition hall (Hurtado de Amezaga, 6 – ground floor, Bilbao).

Admission is free.

Download the book (Basque and Spanish): The Women of the Canning Industry. By Vocation: Canner