Venice Lagoon - Clam Fishing

After a three hour journey from Cavalese to Venice, our class was presented with the opportunity to visit the Venice lagoon. We spoke with a man who was in charge of the environmental protection agency of those waters. As he went into detail, he revealed the environmental challenges the lagoon faces and what local authorities are attempting to do in order to regulate the fishing activity.

The lagoon has long been subject to illegal clam fishing after the introduction of the clam in the 1970s. Today, the clam thrives in the Italian lagoon but has become over harvested due to the profitability of clam fishing. Clam harvesting has become extremely popular not only because its profitability, but because of clams are able to be fished year round and the start-up capital to become a clam fisher is relatively low.

Our class learned that the high demand of the clam, paired with a lack of property rights in the lagoon, has led to an exploitation of the common pool resource (an example of the tragedy of the commons). In order to combat this exploitation, the authorities have begun to auction off areas of the lagoon designated for fishing. The money raised from these auctions help generate rent for local authorities that help to restore the lagoon.

The lagoon truly is a special place not only for the ecosystem in which it supports, but also for the people of Venice. The authorities must now find a middle ground where the people of Venice can make a living off the stock of clam while not disturbing the natural balance of life under the water.