A sustainable fishing practice has emerged from an unexpected source off the coast of Ravenna in the North Adriatic Sea. When offshore platforms for gas extraction were constructed in the 1970s, a large portion of the sea was closed to fishing. Local fishermen were commissioned to maintain these platforms, and they discovered a new marine habitat that was being colonized by numerous marine organisms, including mussels. This led to the activation of a sustainable chain where the fishermen learned how to take advantage of this habitat by manually harvesting mussels. A new brand identity was created for this hand-picked delicacy, La Cozza Selvaggia. This unique product and the importance of the underwater habitats beneath the disused platforms are now being protected through the collaborative efforts of the local fishermen, activists, and researchers from CESTHA and Worldrise.
Despite the potential removal of the disused platforms, the joint activities of these organizations aim to support and give visibility to this environmentally sustainable and socially beneficial fishery. The Meroir project, for example, promotes local and sustainable fishing methods and valorizes the story behind the final product. Through this project, the seafood on your plate tells the story of the waters from which it came, the fishermen who harvested it, and the community that benefits from it. This unique fishing activity serves as a replicable example for other disused offshore structures worldwide, demonstrating that productive activities can generate protected habitats that allow for the repopulation of fish resources and generate significant benefits to the sea.