FANO, Italy – At 3:30 on a Wednesday morning, the smell of freshly-caught fish permeates a small amphitheater near the docks of an ancient fishing port. As the owners of local restaurants and markets gather here for the weekly fresh fish auction, a conveyor belt begins rolling plastic bins of cuttlefish, cod, goatfish, crab, calamari, and many other species into the room for inspection and bidding.

But something isn’t quite right with this picture.

The 140 seats in the bleachers are filled to only a quarter capacity. An auction that once lasted a few hours is completed in just 30 minutes.

“In 20 years when [we] retire, the next generation won’t be replacing us because it’s not a job that people aim for anymore,” said fisherman Massimo Perugini. “The industry will slowly disappear because it’s no longer a tradition as it used to be.”

This tradition, which historians say extends 42,000 years, appears to have an impending expiration date—-and the clock is ticking.

A combination of collapsing fishing stocks, a degrading environment, fewer fishermen, and a new generation uninterested in the hard work and sacrifices of this profession, may be leading to the end of this way of life.

“It used to be generational, a tradition that was passed on, but now it’s not anymore,” explains Daniele Isotti, a fisherman of 40 years. “Fisherman used to have more boats, like 17, and now they only have 5, so it’s a smaller industry now.”

Harvesting fish from the Adriatic Sea has been an important part of life along Italy’s eastern coastline since long before the time of Christ. Archeological records from civilizations such as the Terremare culture, which began in 1450 BC, show signs of fishing. And an ancient harbor belonging to the Illyrians in 900 BC has been discovered and identified as an ancient trading post.

More well-known civilizations, like the Greeks and Romans, also relied on fishing in the Adriatic. All segments of those societies relied on fish. The poor could only afford small fish like anchovies and septs, while the wealthy ate tuna, bass, and red mullet.

Fishing and seafood continue to be integral parts of Italy’s cuisine and economy, but records show that could be ending. Italian fish production doubled from 1960-2000 but has been suffering from a severe decline since early in the 21st century.

In the past 50 years alone, research shows the Adriatic Sea has lost half of its marine mammals and fish populations.

Perugini and other fishermen believe they are contributing to the problem. Fisherman don’t always follow the protective government regulations on size and species of legal fish, he said. Instead, they catch and sell young fish before they have time to reproduce the fish stocks, leading to a lack of replenishment. He believes many fishermen ignore these rules and sell the illegal fish under the radar: “This stuff [illegal fishing] happens everywhere in Italy…it happens all the time, but it is illegal.”

Research shows global warming is also harming Adriatic fish populations. As sea temperatures increase, the waters become uninhabitable for the fish. This is predicted to be a global problem that will only increase as temperatures continue to rise. There has already been a 4.1% global decrease in fish species and shellfish.

Adriatic fisherman, like Perugini, have also noticed that new species of fish such as the dusky spinefoot, have appeared and are predators to the native ones, “destroying and contributing to the decline in local fish.”

The lack of fish in turn leads to declining jobs within the industry, causing members of traditional fishing families to look elsewhere for occupations and income. Research shows Italian fishing employment dropped every year since 2000.

“The cost of the fish is higher, and the quality is lower, but it used to be the other way around.”

Fishermen have noticed the decline has affected the quality of fish as well as the quantity.

“…The cost of the fish is higher, and the quality is lower, but it used to be the other way around,” said Perugini. He also believes that this increase in cost has spread to equipment and maintenance, not just in the fish.

Due to these financial factors, most Italian fisherman nowadays don’t do it for the money, but for the passion.

Unfortunately, they say, their passion is absent in most of today’s generation.

“It’s a tough job made of sacrifices that aren’t appreciated by newer generations,” Perugini said. “When the weather is good I work 24/7, so I don’t get days off. . . You have to be passionate and love what you do, then see what you get out of it.”

Although there are many factors threatening this tradition, many organizations, public and private, are joining together to continue it. The government has made laws to protect endangered and young fish, restaurants are beginning to place importance on the freshness and quality of fish rather than the quantity, and fisherman are moving to eco-friendly techniques.

Isotti agrees that fishermen have an important role in this effort.

“Of course it is the responsibility of us fisherman [to fish eco-friendly], if I only fish the regulated kind, then everything will work better. The restaurants will be better, and the smaller fish will have time to reproduce and get bigger.”

Translation of interviews and other language assistance by University of Urbino students Luca Cocozza and Francesca Massari.

Video by Olivia White & Katherine Inman

The post Fishing for a Future appeared first on 2019 Urbino Project.

PESARO, Italy—On an average summer Saturday in a typical Italian town, dozens of tents sprawl out on a long asphalt road. Crowds of customers gather around vendors to form a familiar sight, a farmer’s market. However, each Thursday in the beach town of Pesaro, five tents gradually appear on a small browning field beside a sidewalk. There are some of the customary signs—smells of fresh bread and pastries, sights of vibrant fruits and vegetables, and sounds of the chatter and laughter among vendors and customers. But then you discover the quirky personalities, the funny hats and vintage clothes of the vendors, and the earnest signs of authenticity such as hand painted leaves and flowers on the labels of products for sale. The realization hits that this is not a regular farmer’s market. This is Oltre Mercato.

It’s not just the petite nature of the market or the offbeat personalities that puts the “Oltre” in Oltre Mercato. (Oltre means “other” or “beyond.”) It’s the actual philosophy of the market. Oltre Mercato fuels itself on supporting local and homegrown food while going against the norms of society, with members constantly giving to each other and being ecologically conscious in how they prepare their produce.

“This is a culture that cares about the weakest side of society both in a sense of production and in a sense of general well-being,” said Michele Romani, 48-year-old vegetable vendor at Oltre Mercato.

“This movement is about thinking that we should have the right to do something…even if it is not legal.”

These individuals believe they’re part of something bigger than themselves, and they will go to risky lengths to fight for what they believe in. Tommaso Lombardi, 34-year-old beekeeper and legislative coordinator for Oltre Mercato describes how his passion drives his group. “This movement is about thinking that we should have the right to do something, so we are going to do it,” he said. “Even if it is not legal, we are going to do it if we feel it is right. For example, we create new market squares to sell products and this is not legal because you have to have a permit, but we sell food here anyway without a permit.”

Three years ago, Oltre Mercato was started by a larger national movement called Genuino Clandestino. Oltre Mercato is one of 24 local markets associated with Genuino Clandestino. These local markets range from Milan to more southern parts of Italy like Sicily.

The national Clandestine movement, meaning underground and secretive, began in 2010. Lombardi said this movement started as a revolt against Italian legislation that forced producers of self-made and locally grown food to deal with the same obstacles and regulations as food produced by big industries. For example, small-farmers must file their taxes with the Chamber of Commerce, but they don’t think this should apply to them because they’re selling directly to a final consumer instead of going through layers of retail consumers as big industrial food companies do. Additionally, small farmers have to pay taxes like their big industry counterparts do, but since they live on their own land, and don’t make the same amount of profit that big industries do, it is extremely difficult for them to afford this and keep their business afloat.

This legislation also requires that small farmers carry out the same health and sanitation regulations as industrial agriculture, Lombardi explained. For example, such simple practices of killing and burying one’s cattle must be done outside the property of the small farmer, but these small farmers believe their businesses are small and sanitary enough that they don’t have to go through this extra precaution.

According to Lombardi, Genuino Clandestino participants not only feel betrayed by Italian law, they also don’t agree with the way big industries operate. Lombardi said that in order to go against the way industrial agriculture operates in today’s society, this community of Clandestines thrives on the concept of self-determination, meaning they provide for themselves and make their own way of life, disregarding societal norms.

“We put ourselves in the debate of self-organization because we think that Oltre Mercato and the other markets provide a place where we have to provide our own food and provide for ourselves,” said Lombardi. “We are on the complete opposite side from what is normal, which is being controlled and organized by the power of the higher-ups in society.”

“We have this method of a ‘time bank,’ where we give our time to each other.”

While the participants in the Clandestine movement want to separate themselves from main-stream society by being different and having their own kinds of markets, they also want to continue to strengthen their bonds with each other. They do this by adopting the method of mutualism, which means they give to each other and treat each other in a way that benefits all parties.

“Something that we really are focusing on right now is this method of doing whatever we can for each other,” Lomabardi said. “We have our own registry and we have this method of a ‘time bank,’ where we give our time to each other. Lombardi explained that this time is not limited to just work hours. It could be time spent helping people in other ways, such as watching other people’s children or helping someone plan a party. The overall point, Lombardi said, is to do something for each person and in the end, “It is all equal.”

While this concept might seem quite relaxed, Lombardi said, it’s actually really regulated. For example, the local market in Bologna, CampiAperti (meaning open fields) prints its own money to keep track of members’ favors to each other.

Guilia Maschera, 37, who is an herb producer and vendor at Oltre Mercato feels the most important part of the philosophy of the Clandestine movement is the bond the customers and vendors establish with each other. “No one feels alone because there is so much help,” Maschera said as her one-year old son passed by in a stroller pushed by one of the other community members. “The market is a place where you can establish a direct communication with the customers.”

Daniela Fontanor, 52-year-old Pesaro native, has been shopping at Oltre Mercato ever since it opened three years ago. She said that she buys everything from toilet paper to wine at Oltre Mercato. She said this relationship between the vendors and customers is one of the reasons she shops here. “They are quality people here,” Fontanor said. “Everyone is familiar with each other. I respect their thinking, and also the products are good prices for the quality you are getting.”

The idea of direct communication and relationships with the customers is something of great importance to Maschera and her partner, Marco Triche. “Here in Italy and everywhere in the world, there is this way of thinking that if you write that you only prepare natural products, this is true, but in reality, it is not true,” said Triche. “So, in this kind of market everybody knows everybody, so we know how everybody produces their product.”

Though Maschera is reserved and nervous, she comes to life when she talks about the importance of this relationship with her customers. “Yes,” she said, enthusiastically chiming in. “There is a quality of control. The clients cannot actually check the quality, but they know it is good because we all know each other.”

On a recent Thursday in June, there was a constant flow of customers buying produce from Romani. All that could be heard was his playful, contagious laugh as he bagged his produce to be given to his customers. Between selling, Romani explained that quality of control through ensuring the customers are getting healthy and chemical-free produce is a big theme of Oltre Mercato. He, like Maschera, feels it’s a moral obligation to his customers and the earth to sell chemical-free food. “I would never poison the soil,” Romani said sternly. “Apart from being certified as an all-natural producer, I first care about the guarantee of the products for my customers.”

Quality of control isn’t the only thing these individuals are trying to achieve. “The main point of the Clandestine movement is to be able to criticize society through food,” Lombardi said. “Through food we want to be able to approach all kinds of political and economic topics. We are able to get together and turn something that is usually strictly about culture into something political or environmental.”

Lombardi can talk passionately about this movement for hours. He tells of an Italian woman who lived in Kurdistan, where in the midst of a revolution the farmers organized themselves through the same concept of assembly as Genuiono Clandestino. These Kurdistan farmers have their own community lands that they share with everyone involved. “We are looking forward to maybe doing the same thing and having our own community lands, which is something we used to have way back in Italy,” Lombardi said optimistically. “Eventually we want to turn this into an international movement.”

Translation of interviews and other language assistance by University of Urbino students Francesa Massari, Bianca Sartini, Tonia Perreca, and Luca Cocozza.

Video by Carley Welch & Gianna Di Gregorio

The post Oltre Mercato appeared first on 2019 Urbino Project.

FANO, Italy – Inside a nondescript doorway on a busy street in this seaside town, eighty-six-year-old grandmother Maria Tena is attempting to upset one of the oldest traditions in Italian culture: How to cook seafood.

“Maria is a revolutionary,” said Domenica Tamati, her daughter. “She wanted to get back to the easiest way of cooking food in the sense of keeping it simple.”

Maria’s rule is equally revolutionary for a restaurateur:

“It is better to not eat than to eat something that is not good.”

Maria and Domenica are the eccentric duo that own, operate and cook at Trattoria Da Maria under a set of eco-friendly rules that guide every action from purchase through preparation and serving of their seafood meals.

For example:

• If they can’t get fresh fish that day, they don’t open.
• They only serve small fish.
• They only use salt, pepper, parsley, lemon and olive oil.
• They don’t allow meat on the premises.
• They won’t use cans or plastic containers in their cooking.

Maria said these ideals were taught to her at a young age. She was born in Monteciccardo, a small town located the hills of central Italy between the mountaintop city of Urbino and the seaport of Fano. Raised by her aunt when her mother passed, she gained her passion for cooking fish by growing up the daughter of a fisherman.

As she tells it, the family used traditional techniques of Italian cooking with plenty of fresh seafood from the Adriatic. Maria met her husband who decided after their marriage that he was going to become a fisherman as well. The couple moved to the center of Fano and had two daughters.

“My passion was for cooking and then fish so I thought I could start something in the center because it is near home and it is doing something for my daughters,” she recalled.

So, 50 years ago they purchased a space on Via IV Novembre that had housed a restaurant for two hundred years and opened Trattoria Da Maria – named for Maria.

 She wanted to create a restaurant that was ecofriendly, a place that customers could interact from all parts of the world and enjoy small portions of quality food.

“We should get back to forms of fishing that are eco-friendly because the Adriatic offers the possibility to fish smaller and fish in an eco-friendlier way.”

Maria and Domenica said the rules they follow are designed to be as friendly to the planet as possible. For example, they do not purchase big fish because they believe it is more harmful to the sea than catching smaller species.

“Social, economic and cultural factors have fueled the notion of bigger is better in our fishing and eating practices,” said Domenica. “We should get back to forms of fishing that are eco-friendly because the Adriatic offers the possibility to fish smaller and fish in an eco-friendlier way.”

 The restaurant also does not use plastic water bottles or cans.

“We respect the human being and animals – animals first actually,” Domenica said with a laugh. “Here any animal is welcome. In fact, the other day a man came in to eat with a (pet) wolf.”

That different ethic was on display one Wednesday in June. Through the juniper green string curtains over the kitchen door, Maria and Domenica were scaling, cleaning and slicing the small fish and langoustine they purchased from fishermen early that morning. The aroma of fresh fish grilling over natural charcoal mixes with the essence of steam rising from a kettle of boiling shrimp.

The mother and daughter not only value how the fish are caught, but how they are prepared. In the kitchen painted seafoam green there are not many spices other than salt, pepper, and parsley. Maria uses minimal seasoning to ensure that the natural flavoring of the seafood is brought out and not masked by other spices.

Most of the fish is grilled or boiled, then drizzled with olive oil from a small local producer. They only use ingredients from local producers with whom they have a direct relationship. Even though the ingredients and preparation are the same every day, the menu is not.

 It is possible to get clams and polenta one day and come back the next to receive boiled tender langoustine.

 “The sea chooses the food we offer, not the customer,” said Maria.

 And just like fruit, every fish has its own season – which means only what is in season will end up on the plate at Da Maria.

So at lunchtime that Wednesday customers from Holland, Italy and America found calamari, shrimp, squid, hake, sole and cuttlefish on their plates. All were purchased fresh from fishermen that morning.

The meals arrived on silver platters to tables on the patio in the rear of the restaurant. It is a calming green space that is also home to their two cats.

Serving customers their fresh fish meals is their favorite part of the occupation for this mother-daughter team.

“It’s definitely hard and there are many sacrifices, but we enjoy the possibility to interact with many different people because every person brings a new experience to us,” said Domenica.

Maria and Domenica chat with their customers because they think it’s important to create a connection with them.

Today, Luciano Bruna is satisfied with his spread of fish, which is his favorite part of the meal. He has traveled here from Parma in northern Italy, for his third visit to Da Maria.

“What they prepare is quite uncommon to any place I have been,” he said. “They use few ingredients. It’s a delicate way to cook fish but I like it.”

Across the patio, Maria is laughing with a family from Holland. They are on holiday in Italy and were told by friends they should stop by Da Maria for lunch. The mother, father, grandma, and two children are sharing a plate of shrimp and clams.

 “I don’t know what’s going to happen because I live daily,” Maria says. “I don’t make projects for the future because I’m trying to live – living good and living well in the present.”

 The youngest member of the family, a daughter with curly blonde hair, is standing up in her chair eating. The oil from the clam has greased her pale petite fingers. Domenica soon joins the family and brings a wipe for the young girl’s hands.

 Maria looks at Domenica’s profile with pride in her wrinkle framed eyes. When asked if Domenica will take over the restaurant after her, Maria’s answer is as simple and direct as her style of cooking.

 “I don’t know what’s going to happen because I live daily,” Maria says. “I don’t make projects for the future because I’m trying to live – living good and living well in the present.”

Video by Katherine Inman & Olivia White

The post Cooking up a Revolution appeared first on 2019 Urbino Project.