The progressive deregulation of fishery management in the Venetian Lagoon after the fall of the Repubblica Serenissima: food for thought on sustainability

Abstract

Since the origins of the first human settlements in the Venetian Lagoon, the exploitation of biological resources has represented the most important source of food for local communities. The Repubblica Serenissima strictly managed and controlled fishing activities because they were essential to the Venetian economy. Consequently, the Serenissima survived for over 1000 years in its lagoon, thanks to the numerous policies and regulations that were promulgated to enhance environmental quality, preserve biological resources and prevent degradation. An effective tool for assuring the sustainable use of resources was the establishment of fishermen's corporations called fraglie , which had the exclusive use of specific fishing grounds, introducing a sort of “restricted access” in lagoon resource management. Conversely, the fall of the Serenissima was followed by a progressive deregulation of fishing activities that was probably a consequence of the political instability of the area and the widespread poverty that afflicted local inhabitant, the priority being to allow open access to biological resources for subsistence fisheries (abolishing, for instance, the fraglie) at a time when there were few alternatives to fishing. In this paper we examine, via a collection of archival documents, grey literature and scientific papers, how changes in legislation impaired the sustainability of fisheries in the Venetian Lagoon, considering the effectiveness of those measures and how they jeopardized fishery resources.