The CHERISH partners and stakeholders will visit Abruzzo in July, a region in Italy known for the so-called “Trabocchi”, its rugged landscape and varying coastal structures, and the Adriatic Railway. This is also the region of the Cala Lenta Festival, an initiative by Slow Food dedicated to the #sea and to the valorization of the fish species of the Adriatic Sea.
During the CHERISH Interregional Learning and Exchnage of Experience Event (ILEEE) partners will be informed about the efforts of the Abruzzo Region Rural Development and Fishery Policies Department regarding the safeguarding and promotion of cultural heritage. Analysis of the area shows that recent efforts have already proven to be successful in attracting more youth, preserving fishing structures, and conserving the history of the fishing communities. Therefore, it will be very interesting to see those efforts in action. The ILEEE will consist of study visits during which story-telling by the local fishing communities is an important element, and during working sessions the practices in the Abruzzo region will be peer reviewed.
In the Abruzzo region local fisheries have been unable to keep up with the commercialization of their products and young people have become less and less involved, leading to a deterioration of the fishing communities. To counteract, tourism-related fishing activities have been developed. So far, this has already shown to enhance the presence and contribution of women and young people, and the attractiveness of the region as a tourist destination has increased.
The north coast of Abruzzo consists of sandy beaches popular with the locals and tourists. The south coast is more rocky and is renowned for fishing constructions anchored to the rocks called Trabocchi, little platforms on poles from which fishermen cast their nets into the sea. Unfortunately, technological developments caused them to become obsolete and one after another fell into disrepair. Recently, regained interest in the local cultural heritage has led to the restoration of Trabocchi and the valorization of the old structures. During the ILEEE a visit will be paid to one of the renovated Trabocchi as part of the fishing tourism experience along the coast.
The Regional Law on Fishing Tourism has proven to be instrumental in developing recreational activities for tourists and is a good practice with great potential for transferability to other fishing communities in Europe. The law has provided the possibility for tourists to be guests on fishing boats, which in turn has helped local fishermen to share their culture, traditions and lifestyle with their guests. The extra income that is created directly and indirectly by these enterprises can help the fishermen to reinforce the appeal of their sector for future generations and the preservation of their cultural heritage.
Another good practice is the branding of the region as initiated local action groups. They’ve established the “Costa dei Trabocchi” to make the area stand out from other regions in order to attract tourism. The participants of the ILEEE will be able to see and experience how the territorial brand has created a recognizable profile as a tourist destination. In addition to a meeting with one of the local action groups, they will visit the Martinsicuro Ecomuseum of the Sea and of Fishing. The museum not only showcases traditional objects of the fishing industry, but also studies, protects and preserves the collective memory of the fishing community of Marinsicuro.
Overall, the third ILEEE will provide a huge learning opportunity for all partners, stakeholders and regional policy makers. The Abruzzo Region is looking forward to hosting the event and to discuss the creation of regional development policies which will further boost the attractiveness of the region.
Watch this space for updates!
