The strong voices of the Apulian fishermen on the depletion of the Adriatic Sea
Brussels 7-9 May 2019 - “The sea spoke to us. Had we listened we would not have reached this point”. What rises from the Italian Apulian fishermen is a desperate call about the Adriatic fish crisis. Mauro Lo Popolo, a former fisherman from the traditional fishing port of Bisceglie, is not the only voice. According to Rocco Cazzato, a small scale fisherman from Tricase “50 years ago, 200 meters of fishing net were enough to make the day, today you need at least 2 kilometers “. According to fisherman Leonardo Lo Popolo “technology improvements had help us but at the expenses of the marine environment. We catch undersize fish and this is not good because we never let the sea to rest ”.
The strong voices of the Apulian fishermen on the depletion of the Adriatic Sea are soundtracking the Global Seafood Expo, the world’s largest fish trade fair, which is held in Brussels on 7- 9 May, 2019. Here, in the Italian Pavilion, extracts from the documentary “Even fish cry“, produced by MedReAct and the Adriatic Recovery Project, are screened. The documentary tells the call of fishermen, scientists and activists , and their solutions for the preservation of one of the most exploited seas in the Mediterranean.
One solution to counteract the depletion of the Adriatic Sea is the establishment of Fishery Restricted Areas, acting as a vital reserve for the recovery of marine biodiversity and fish stocks.
According to Domitilla Senni from MedReAct “The EU has now the opportunity to support the establishment of a Fisheries Restricted Area in the Adriatic Otranto Chanel, where key habitats of fish species are found, as well as rare coral and gorgonian colonies. A proposal to this end is now being considered by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean. We ask Commissioner Vella not to let the fishermen call go unheard and support this proposal”.
“Even fish cry” – documentary
Directors: Francesco Cabras – Alberto Molinari Production: MedReAct, Adriatic Recovery Project, GANGA Music: Rachele Andrioli, Dario Muci, Valerio Daniele, Francesco Raganato, Francesco Cabras, Sante Rutigliano.
Full version: https://vimeo.com/305958507
