Although by the twentieth century, industrial-capitalist fishing methods were already disrupting the Basque fishing brotherhoods ( cofradías ), the collective voice of the fishermen and their communities, artisanal fishing, and the traditional customs surrounding it managed to survive for a few more decades. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, however, the future for local Basque fishermen looks bleak. Due to factors beyond their control, the brotherhoods, which for a long time guaranteed both an ecological balance in the sea and common wealth among the fishermen, have become totally defunct.