“Years ago, while pursuing my passion for the sea and its depths, I encountered bluefin tuna trapped in the nets of a Sardinian tuna trap. A photograph was taken as a reminder, but the result of a great emotion bestowed by the power of these fish, paved the way for a continuous visit to the community of skilled fishermen who work there. Thanks to them, year after year, I learned the complex, delicate and ancient practice of tuna fishing. Bluefin tuna has been fished with this technique for thousands of years, but only recently has the species of bluefin tuna made headlines due to a sudden decline in its numbers a few decades ago. As a result, the international scientific community raised the alarm and forced the governments of coastal countries to study the problem and find solutions. From that moment on, bluefin tuna fishing in the Mediterranean has been regulated and controlled, even though the few existing traps have suffered unfair critical attention, especially from public opinion. Although I am not a scientist, it is clear from the figures and statistics provided by marine biologists at various research institutes and by ICAAT that the main responsibility for the decline in the number of tuna of this species lies with another fishing technique, that of seining. This is a fishing technique that uses the latest technology and scientific knowledge to catch and kill as many tuna as possible. I spent more than six years with the crew of tuna fishermen from Portoscuso and Porto Paglia (and for the last year also from Carloforte in the bay of Calavinagra) during the tuna fishing season, which is prepared as early as March and April and becomes operational once it is set in the water from April and May. They welcomed me with sincerity and respect and helped me to understand that we can still enter into a dialogue with nature, which provides us with a livelihood only if we know how to respect its sacredness and its delicate balance.”
- words by Francesco Zizola

Publisher: Postcart
Year: 2020
Dimensions: 24 x 30 cm
Pages: 126 pages Printrun: 1600 copies
1st Edition
Language: Italian, English, and French
ISBN: 978-88-31363-10-5