They are called Mourtalla Diop, Mamadou Diop, Cheikh Wele and Thierno Sene; they were born in Senegal and speak Wolof as their first language. None of the four knew each other before meeting at the ports of Vilanova i la Geltrú and Cambrils, where they work. All four share a similar story of overcoming adversity: they come from fishing families in Senegal, a country they had to leave because one day what they knew how to do, fishing, had become a profession with no future. They left the so-called Global South of the African coast to look for a new job, a new life, and they have found it in the Catalan ports. “I like fishing because it’s what I’ve always done,” explains Mamadou one afternoon at the port of Vilanova i la Geltrú. Mamadou shares the same surname as Mourtalla, but they comment that they are not related. “We met working at the port of Vilanova,” they say, adding that the surname Diop is common in Senegal.

It's eight o'clock in the morning on a Friday with a good summer sea, and the bluefish boats, which have been working in the darkness, have already unloaded the crates of sardines and anchovies at the fishing dock. They arrived punctually, around 7:30 a.m., and even more punctual is the flat screen, like a television, that has quickly switched on on the dock itself. The screen shows the auction price for the crates. No one is calling out their prices, no voices are raised saying "I'll take these." There is only silence and cell phones. And a strong smell of the salty sea, mingling with that of the fresh sardines sticking out of the crates.