A photographic exhibition portraying the life and work of small-scale fishers (SSF) in the Mediterranean, produced with award winning photographer Carlo Gianferro, will be hosted in the FAO Flag Hall. The exhibition offers portraits of the lifestyles of Mediterranean fishers and their relationship with the sea. The exhibition is presented by WWF and the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the FAO.
In the Mediterranean, small-scale fishers account for 80 percent of the fishing workforce. In a context of intensive overfishing, SSF represent the opportunity for change towards a new, more responsible and sustainable fishing model that will contribute to changing the future of fishing, fishers, fish and the sea itself. Most of the SSF in this exhibition operate in marine protected areas (MPAs) where they have often become the guardians of the sea and have taken ownership of solutions that will lead to the recovery of fish stocks and improved local livelihoods. In 2018, the GFCM adopted, with the support of WWF, a Regional Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries, the first of any regional fishing management organization around the world.
These photos are a selection of the photo exhibition "Citizens of the sea", produced in the framework of an EU-funded project (Interreg MED Programme / FishMPABlue2) and shown at the Museo di Roma in Trastevere in Rome. The photographer, Carlo Gianferro, won the World Press photo 1st prize in 2009.