January 11th, 2018: 
     Check out the fish markets of Chioggia! We got to see the interactions between the fisherman, the vendors, and the consumers at each step of the process. There were two different kinds of markets, one that is between the fisherman and the consumer, like Pike Place Market in Seattle. The other was between the fisherman and large buyers, like restaurants. It was interesting to learn about the different dynamics of the two markets. In the former you buy the seafood directly from the seller, whereas in the latter, the selling of fish is done via auctioning.

     

     For this course, we were given an article about this industry, and it was very exciting to go and visit the same town mentioned in the paper! The article was about the environmental impacts on traditional artisanal fishing vs. mechanized clam harvesting. Long story short, they artisanal fishing was sustainable, and the clam harvesting was not. However, both methods are the very real livelihoods of thousands of people, and thus removing one of them is not a viable option. The solution supplied by the article involved balancing the two fishing styles so that the environmental, economic, and financial impacts are minimized.

      Overall, we’re enjoying our tour of Italy! From fish markets to ancient burial sites, we’re learning and seeing a wide variety of Italian culture. Being able to learn from a society that in many ways is quite different from our own is an important part of education. But, having fun sure is a nice caveat!