A series of requests to bring to the attention of the mayoral candidates. They are those of the fishing sector, supported by Massimiliano Sardone, National Secretary of UILA Fisheries in reference to Civitavecchia. Offshore wind, the role of fishermen in port and the safety of underwater fishermen are some of the issues on which attention and above all clarity is required.
“The municipal administrations have very little, if any, competence in the field of professional fishing, but this must not constitute a “loophole” for not considering the requests of a sector that offers employment to over one hundred people, which makes available to consumers a fresh and very high quality product (and it also did so during the pandemic period and also to families in difficulty, free of charge) and which constitutes a link between the history of our city and the future ecological challenges which, with regard to the sea, we are called to face in the near future. With respect to this, we expect constant support from the future Mayor and the future Municipal Administration on the disputes that this sector must face and which involve the maintenance of jobs, income and the health and safety of workers. There will be many issues to address:
– WIND POWER: we continue to witness the start of the bureaucratic process of “imaginative” projects that promise to create clean energy and, at the same time, create “tuna dens”. With respect to this, we ask that the future Municipal Administration take a clear position to protect, as is natural, the right request to improve the supply of renewable energy, but ensuring that this does not happen on the backs of the fishing workers, who, thanks to the false European environmentalist policies, they have already seen their jobs reduced by a good 50% at a national level;
– THE ROLE OF FISHERMEN IN THE PORT: For years, we have been witnessing a constant and progressive marginalization of the role of fishing workers within our port. We observe that one of the most prestigious ports in the Mediterranean does not even provide electricity and water columns at the disposal of fishermen. There is no supply point for fishing diesel managed by fishermen (unlike what happens in all the other fishing ports in Lazio). Although the funds to create it have been allocated for almost ten years, the photovoltaic panel system on the roof of the fish auction has not been created (evidently, when it is not economically convenient, the use of renewable energy is not a priority) . More generally, we are witnessing a management of port activities that does not take into account the needs of fishermen and we are extremely worried about what will happen when the works to open the new port gate begin. To have an indicator of the attention that fishermen enjoy from the body that manages the port of Civitavecchia, it is enough to remember that, about a year ago, a fisherman was hit in the Darsena and that, since that date, it has not yet been not even a bollard was put to the ground.
– THE SAFETY OF UNDERWATER FISHERMEN: In 2024, Civitavecchia is not yet equipped with a hyperbaric center that guarantees the safety of the thousands of underwater workers (including fishermen) who, every year, operate near or inside the port. It is an unacceptable situation which sees, once again, the safety of workers being sacrificed on the altar of mere economic evaluations. We ask the mayoral candidates to take a strong position on the issue, also considering the importance of hyperbaric therapies for all citizens and not just for those who carry out diving activities”.
