Page 194 - KATE_JOHNSTON_2017

first there was silence as Andrea spoke, but then an enraged fisherman broke the attention and

the cacophony continued. Momentary quiet was broken by protests and angered responses. At

one point Stefano said that anger needed to stay out of the meeting. He was also trying to

emphasise the unity of the MPA and fishermen, and the need for patience. But it was clear

that many of the fishermen did not share his sentiment. Nor did they accept that things take

time. The sentiment of many of the fishermen was that things are critical and that there is no

time.

The meeting also underlined the tensions between the MPA and the fishermen over

expertise, highlighting frustrations that related to knowledge hierarchies much in the same

way as in San Pietro. Here were a group of marine biologists and technicians (experts) but,

according to one fisherman, they had achieved nothing. A few minutes into the footage and a

fisherman asked Stefano to look at a map of the area. The large map sat on the table and

fishermen soon gathered around. The conversation turned to the placement of the structures.

It is not clear whether the fishermen were consulted about the placement but clearly some

disagreed. Running his weathered hand across the page and talking about currents, wind and

fishing boats, one fisherman said, ‘non hanno fatto niente’ (they haven’t done anything),

‘tutto sbaglio’ (everything is wrong).

But from Stefano’s point of view a large part of his work is to try to work with and try to help

the fishermen. However, he complained that:

…it’s very difficult to have results…here in Italy, um, in Sicily, fishermen are
very peculiar people…in some ways they [Favignana fishermen] are sympathetic
with them [illegal fishers]. It is difficult to break this chain…they are always
angry they say there’s no more fish someone help us, it’s not possible but when
you get there and you say tell me the name of the boat you saw, they say “oh I
don’t remember”…So it’s very difficult to have results because they don’t help us
to help them. (S Donato 2013, pers. comm. 3 July)

182