Plenty of fish in the sea!?

PLENTY OF FISH IN THE SEA!?

HOW I STARTED

NEA GRIGORE ● From what age we were not allowed to fish together men from Sfântu Gheorghe community have you been fishing? Since I was 18 in a team. I was fishing four, five years, were focused on sturgeon fishing, and years old. From whom did you learn? with maritime nets. I went back to car- after the Revolution the sturgeon miI’ve learned by myself, that is, I wasn’t mace in 1964, in a sturgeon team. rage came. drinking, I went to work and learned. TANTI NATALIA ● First I started RAREȘ ● The first time I started We say trade is stolen, not learned. as a daily labourer at the cherhana fishing was like a game, at an early age In the beginning, what did you fish? (fish processing and collection point) somewhere around 10 years old. I used With what? With big sea nets, at the and then they were looking for two to go with my father, that was the trasea. There were about 15 brigades. In girls to work in the caviar laborato- dition before, we would throw the nets which one were you? Number 4, in the ry. Amongst others, I was also select- and sleep in the boat, as before we big boats (mahuna). I was on a mahu- ed. I went to Tulcea, I was trained for went with the oars, remove the nets na. In my first year, in 1960. Until then, 6 months and I came here as a quali- and come home. The fish caught was I worked at the cherhana (fish process- ty-control lab worker and another girl given at the cherhana (i.e. fish collecting point) on transportation. Right now came to prepare the caviar. After one ing point) and we also took it home. No where the building block is, there was year, she got married and she moved to one bothered you, and everyone was an ice house made out of reed. And I Bucharest and I stayed and I continued happy. And that's how I really started was going in the morning, getting up at to do my job in the lab. But time passed, fishing in 1998. I mean, in a fishing 2–3 at night, until the morning with the the years are passing for us and for team with a schedule. I caught a pemahuna I took it there, I had the key to everybody else. riod of a year when there still was the the cherhana and we unloaded it, then NEA NICU ● I learned the fish- Piscicola, the state fishery where the we rested a bit and off to the engines ery technique as a child, since I was brigades were formed and the activity again. spending all my time with fishermen. was with an established schedule, then NEA AFANASE ● The first time I I had my grandfather, one of the best the boats were equipped with carmace started, I started with some small tools, fishermen, and after he retired he took for the sturion. We had boats in the at the Milea. We fished for morunași, care of the tools. And living all the time convoy, following the motor boat, we plătică. In 1953 I started working. In besides him I simply “photographed” installed the tools, we checked them, 1954 the state company hired us. They how he was repairing the tools. All the we came back to the motor boat, and put us all, all the youth who were first techniques involved in the repair and the motor boat took them back to shore. hired, at the seine. So, the first time I manufacturing of fishing tools. My fawas fishing it was seine fishing (i.e. ther was also a fisherman, but due with a net), the seine disciplined us. to the medical problems he stopped And in 1954–1955 I started fishing stur- fishing, but at the same time he was a geon, with carmace (i.e. hooks). 1994, very good craftsman in fishing tools, in 1955, 1956... From 1956 onwards, they manufacturing and using them. And separated me from my father. They did considering how the situation evolved, not allow me to work with him, because after 1993, 1994, 1995 I became a promy father was considered a kulak and fessional fisherman, because fisher-

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FISHING WITH CARMACE

NEA AFANASE ● I liked this type of fishing. With carmace. What was the reason? The reason was that working with carmace was hard work. It wasn’t, let’s say, very lucrative. You were not earning a lot. You were earning less than the ones using nets.

NEA NICU ● Traditionally, the sturgeon was always fished with carmace. The carmace are a set of big hooks that are launched in the sea. They are used in the sea. And this system is almost history now, there are few fishermen who know the fishing process. Maintenance of fishing tools, respectively the carmace, will take you a lot of time. You were tied to the carmace, you were the slave of the hook. To be able to release the hook in the water, it had to be sharpened and painted. It had two types of paints, one anti-corrosive that would be soft and not dry out on the hook. The hooks were used without bait and were sharpened very well, they were able to touch the fish and they could penetrate it. This is why a soft anti-corrosive agent was used and before its release it was covered with a rubber paste.

A rubber paste was used to further protect the hook, but also to allow the hook to pierce the fish [...].

Before, there were no foundries, the hooks were being made with a forge.

Foundries appeared in Sweden and we started importing hooks, the Swedes were the best steel manufacturers.

So, the hook must be made from a corrosion resistant steel, but it must also be elastic, not brittle. If the hook is brittle and it breaks and the fish is only caught on one hook, then it will escape [...] it wasn’t allowed for a carmac... you scheduled about 3 weeks to keep it in the water. You could remove it even earlier if you had time, or you could delay it for a month.

But the longer the delay, the more vegetation grew, the hooks corroded, and then the effort of introducing them in the sea was higher. The sooner you changed it, the easier your work was [...]. And that’s how the sturgeon fishing preparations went [...].

And of course the fishing activity offshore was difficult. Because when you launched the tools you had to observe the sea, it had to be quiet and hopefully without sea currents. If the sea currents were strong you could not launch the tools, that is to arrange the installations in the sea. The start of the sturgeon fishing campaign meant preparing the fishing installation, this was a true engineering feat with measurements that were made on the rope. You worked only with a rope, and the ropes were measured, the measurements were inherited from the elders: a fist, an elbow and an arm. There were no meters, or other units of measurement. And then, in order to get out your measurements and get things installed, there should

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be no sea currents. After placing your installations at sea, logs were beaten, and were anchored up to 70 meters deep, where some anchors were beaten on the bottom of the sea, which were made out of logs. There was this special tool and it was very hard to beat the log with it, and you needed to insert 60–100 logs on the seabed. There was a technique at that time, without diving.

Up to 10 m we used a ghionder that had a pipe at one end where the log is added, and you launched it vertically into the water and beat it with the ghionder until the log was inserted on the seabed. It was necessary for the log to be perfectly fixed, or as much as possible in the ground because the rope was not allowed to cling to the anchor. The second thing, when the carmace were launched at the bottom of the sea, the main rope from the carmace was not allowed to entangle itself to the rope, because then it would have ruined the whole installation [...].

Who invented all of this? The elderls.

FISHING, BACK THEN

NEA ILIE ● I was hired in 1963, the sturgeon became expensive, the that hooks are used everywhere. Fishin March. That period, the mackerel owners earned a lot of money. How ing with hooks, for a fish of 200, 300, had a bad season during that spring, to say this... whoever had money, the 70 kilograms, entering a hook of 5 cm, we were catching 10 kg, 15 kg for 2–3 fishermen went to them and they 50 mm, maximum. How much does it tons, as they say. To the sea and back. would give us money to attract us [...]. affect the fish? I’ve seen in my life fish Then rowing, then throwing the tools We were fishing, and the owners, what escaping from the hooks. But then I again. This is how it went. After 1964, were they doing? We would bring the caught them again but this time they the mackerel started again. The money beluga sturgeon with the roe and they had scars. The fish sometimes escape was, as it was. We were getting about would tell us to declare we caught a from the hooks, and that's why I told 1.200, in the old currency. But the years male, not a female. So, they would give you earlier that it is difficult, because were passing, it was good to fish with you the money for the roe, but for what if the sea was quiet, there could still be waves of 5 meters, but you had to the nets, with fishermen on the sea price they sold it, nobody knows. ● God forbid, a go out. Only at that moment you could shore, bringing back tons of fish. But NEA GRIGORE still, what was good and fresh was sent person in a boat? Unheard of! One can get the fish. If you went after 2–3 days, abroad and the rest was salted and get nauseous, or can fall in the water. waiting for the storm to pass, if a fish sent to people. Everything was sold, all Those days, we had work safety and was caught and was on the bottom of the fish. Now, nothing. They are only we would have controls too. If they the sea, it could die, because the waves looking for big fish, the small one they would find a bottle in your boat and it would smash it to the bottom and kill it. don’t want it, because they can’t do an- would be beer or țuică (strong Roma- And this would have been a loss. ● He was waking nian brandy) you would get a fine. You TANTI OLGA ything with it.

First, we were going to install the tolls were not allowed to carry bottles. [...] up before dawn. There was no other at dawn. By the time we got there, It was made known that brandy and schedule, this was it. At two o'clock at about 15–20 kilometers in, ships would beer were not allowed. On the shore night they were leaving. Then, he was come and tie us, and they would take it wasn’t a problem. [...] We received coming home tired. Good thing I was our boats from offshore and bring us overalls for work safety. If you would home because everything was taken back. And in the evening, so during work with sturgeon you would get short care of, the food, the children... and he this time, you would sing. Or the next boots, if you worked with big sea nets was coming. I didn't have a gas stove day, where little huts are, across the you would have long boots. You always back then, we only had a lamp. I knew Danube, we were sharpening our tools. had to use long boots. We used to have when he was supposed to arrive. He came home at 1–2 at night and he had And whenever somebody was in the work safety. ● Fishing was hard, to have hot water prepared, he was mood to sing, we started. We would NEA NICU drop everything, we got drunk, but the because sturgeon is mainly driven by washing his hands, resting a bit. Then storms, the winds are forming currents again he would get up and leave. A fishnext day we were all at work.

The Sturgeon was 2,70 lei per kilogram and they are making the sturgeon erman’s work is hard. It’s heavy work. If for the fisherman. Okay, this was giv- move. The sturgeon — many say that he would be working at home too, then en to the fisherman, but it was maybe the carmac fishing is a barbaric fish- it would have been too much. I was takmore expensive. After the Revolution ing. We have all seen films showing ing care of the house, he was fishing. I

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was saving the money, and we bought the first house. It was 25.000 lei at that time. But after we finished paying for it, we built another house. He was earning the money and I was saving it [...].

Back then, it was known that this is how a fisherman's wife is supposed to be. This is how we understood it back then. You were supposed to help your husband in everything. We were going to collect hay for the cattle, both of us.

Nobody helped us, it was just the two of us. It was such a heavy winter when we left between Christmas and New Year to load the wood in the boat. It was then that they were making the distribution for the firewood. It was frozen on the other half of the Danube, plus our side [...]. But in another story we went to fetch rock from across the Danube for the foundation of the house. It was winter. I was sitting in a corner and he was rowing. And when we got near the shore to unload, I plunged into the water, it was February. When he arrived with the boat on the shore, he picked me up and we quickly ran home. My mother-in-law was scared that we had not arrived. The children were scared and they were crying.

NEA ILIE ● With tools, special carmace brought from the Netherlands, or Finland. Special hooks and files brought from there, they were being exported. We, with our hand, made the tools, we sharpened them, we prepared and dropped them into the

sea [...]. Okay, in the summer we were going to the southern part, and in the fall we came back as the fish migrated, they are not staying in one place. In the summer we were catching there, and in the fall we would come here, up from the mouth of the Danube, towards Sulina. There, the beluga would come.

And in October, November, December they were off wintering. In the spring they would come back. There was an area here, Mileaua Veche, where it was open and the water depth was 5 meters. Since the Danube-Black Sea Canal was built, the water flow has been decreasing. [...] There used to be dredgers that would clean and dig, but now, who would do it?

NEA AFANASE ● The ones with ohane, with carmace, they were fishing everything. But they did not declare it properly... the amount of fish, and because of this the number of sturgeons in the Black Sea decreased. But in the Black Sea the fishing has been reduced, since we say that there are no sturgeons. It decreased. When sturgeons used to be caught, we used big tools. But now, for 10–15 years, nothing is left, no one is fishing. Who has been fished, where they have been fishing and where they sold it God only knows. But the sturgeon, in any case, were fewer, the basic problem being that the employers did not declare what they caught. They did not declare everything they caught.

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NEA GRIGORE ● I don’t know where the ohane (fishing nets) came from. First, (fishing) was with a hook, and the hooks have a distance of 50 cm between them. But with the ohana, it’s from top to bottom and it kills all the sturgeons. Be it small or big, they get caught in it, and if you find one, you might throw it in the water. But, if the hooks have a distance of 50 cm between them, one in a thousand fish gets caught. In the ohane the eye of the net is small, they catch the Russian sturgeon, the Starry Sturgeon and the Beluga.

NEA NICU ● The state-owned fishing company, Piscicola, provided you with everything you needed to carry out fishing activities, from the production equipment, the protective equipment, the boat, everything that you wanted.

It was like a normal job. And, the value of the fish, the remuneration was depending on the production, but the value of the fish was much lower because of the difference in price for tools that were purchased and made available — that is, all that was needed for the fishing activity. After 2000, people began to buy fishing tools, boats, and the price was no longer the real one. And we transitioned from a state-owned enterprise to a private one. And now sturgeon acquisition centers appeared, so in almost all fish species the money value has increased.

NEA GRIGORE ● Because when we got our paycheck, we never had

a fixed salary, we were paid per kilo- hetman, but there weren't relatives angram. Only on paper were we employ- ymore, it was a category established ees. 1.200 was the official salary. But by a director, by a team leader, generwe were earning 6.000 and 5.000 and ally deciding who will be your fishing 3.000 and 2.000. Because then the tax- mates. Some brigades were formed ation was decreasing... So it was not with family members, like your cousin, a fixed salary. No, for the fishermen, it your oncle, your nephew, your father wasn’t. How much was it? Yes, from and so on. They would even take wom‘60 and until today I never received a en fishing, ok to cook, but they would salary, because the payment was per leave really early in the morning. Fishkilogram. Even now, in the workbook it ing spots were not around the corner. is only per kilogram. But all the taxes The distances are very big. They would were paid per kilogram, not per fixed row from 2 am to 10 am. I would go too, salary. But instead, now, the pension re- with my godfather. A motorboat would ceived is according to the fixed salary. drag us... the classic photos, with a Nowadays, the fishermen can declare motorboat dragging a bunch of boats. everything per kilogram. Now, what you The peak period was 1975, the only catch... that’s it. There are no employ- year when the quantities for both the ees now. The scam is this: they taxed mackerel and the sturgeon were big. us on our income per kilogram, but Big, meaning that we started exportthey are giving us the pensions based ing. We exported a lot back then. Yes, under Russian brands. We didn’t have on our fixed salary.

TANTI EUGENIA ● There were... licenses for up to 5 tons of black caviar, things lacking as well. When they were because we mostly catch beluga sturcatching a lot of fish and were earn- geon here and the beluga has silver ing more it was good. You could build caviar. They are not black. a house, you could buy furniture or RAREȘ ● Whoever had a motorclothes. It was good. Of course, when boat was in front. Ok, back then boats there was no fish, there was no money were not so powerful, like they are now. and then we had to restrain ourselves. They were the same, like the boats It couldn’t be just good. It was good made out of wood, but with an engine from a small tractor, improvised, with and bad, at the same time.

NEA NICHITA ● What was hap- an axis and a propeller. There were the pening (during socialism). The organ- better off ones, they were pulling the ization was the same, the system is boats to sea and then they were going formed from brigades, similar to the back. But in their team, the brigades hetman, those organizations led by a continued even after Piscicola closed

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down, for about a year. Right after I left.

I didn’t want to fish for a while. They either had their own boat, or they made compromises. “X from the village had a boat, he would make our lives easier”.

It was almost impossible to go fishing with hooks (i.e. fish for sturgeon), to go and come back rowing. You needed somebody to pull you there. So, they would take somebody in their team with them. They would be taken in the team simply because they had a boat.

HOW WE PREPARED THE CAVIAR

TANTI NATALIA ● We would leave for work at 6 in the morning and we would come back even at 2–3 in the morning, and then in the morning it would start again. We even crossed the frozen Danube. And this is how the years passed. There were two teams, girls. People are saying that there used to be fish back then. Indeed, there was plenty of fish, but there were plenty of fishermen too. When the scrumbie (pontic shad) season started the whole Delta was under a fishing prohibition. Until ‘85 we were working with the “Russian method”, with a boiled brine, prepared according to the usual method. You cut the belly of the fish, you take out the roe and you place it in disinfected basins, you cut them in small 10 cm long pieces and you rub them. We had this... it was called priboi... it was like a flour sieve... with very small, tiny rectangles... it was made out of horse hair. A citizen from Oltenia (Southern Romania) was making these sieves. So we put this screen over the sieve and we were rubbing the roe, the placenta was staying on the sieve and the eggs fell in the sieve.

And then you would wash them, the tissue and the broken eggs would fall and everything else would be placed in salt, in the salty liquid. The brine was boiled at 24 degrees Baumé. We would leave the eggs in for 2–3 minutes, depending, you know, after working everyday with the eggs, you would just know by passing your hand through the basin if they

were hardened enough. Because you Before 1984 we used to belong to I.D.P didn’t want them to be too salty. They (fishing managing institution during could be between 2–5 and 3–5 salt- socialism). They also managed the fish ed. If they were too salted they would can factory, the flour factory and we berefuse them at export. And we did ex- longed to them. You know, all the fish port. In ‘85, an Iranian with commer- processing points belonged to I.D.P. cial ties to Prodexport (state company After 1984, what have the wise heads charged with all the export in socialist decided? Why would the fish collection Romania) came to the village. And he points belong to an institution that has brought a TV with a VHS cassette. You nothing to do with fishing? Let the fish would just insert the cassette in the TV. collection points belong to the ones It was the first time we’ve ever seen who are fishing, and if we give poor such a thing. And he showed us how quality fish or good quality fish, it will they were fishing. Iranians were fishing get sold anyway. But it doesn’t work with the Russians in the Caspian Sea like that, because quality matters. After back then. They had nisetru (Russian 1989, until 2000 we belonged to Piscisturgeon), păstrugă (Starry sturgeon), cola. After 2000 when it went bankrupt, but they did not have beluga sturgeon. the fishermen scattered too, and then I But he wanted us to prepare it with their told you this owner came and he went method. And he came and showed us bankrupt too, he came and he brought the method. It was similar to our method, them together again, but people got but we were using liquid brine and they old, some of them died. Now, the young were using solid sea salt. And we did it people are left, but they don’t even according to their method. With the sea know how to install a net. Now, they salt. And we prepared it with solid sea are not fishing with hooks, they use salt until the Revolution came. When I ohane (fishing nets). Before 1985, they came to the cherhana, there were no were fishing with hooks, but like I said, proper working conditions. We didn’t the Iranian came and showed us how have a fridge, we had ice houses. They to prepare the caviar. He showed us would bring natural ice, we kept it in the tool they were using and we were ice houses, we had this cabinet, like a surprised to see that it was a net. We fridge, split in two parts. In the middle thought the sturgeon will break it, but it we placed the crushed ice and on the didn’t. The net had big holes, specially two sides we placed the caviar, on a made for sturgeons. And then our men stand. But it was a miracle if we had a started using them too. daily means of transportation provided to Tulcea (county residence).

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FISHING, NOW

RAREȘ ● Before, you would go to Piscicola, and you would tell them: I want to be a fisherman. Well, they gave you the boat, the fishing tools, whatever they might be: carmace, ohane (a type of fishing net), setci (also a type of fishing net), working clothes, protective equipment with raincoats, waterproof pants, boots, winter tunic. “You will operate in brigade number 6. Best of luck in your activities”. I didn't think it was okay after I opened my PFA (self-entrepreneurship). I have to buy the tools and a boat, I pay for everything out of my pocket, and still, the state dictates to me where to hand over the fish. Well wait, it shouldn’t be like that... let me decide what to do with the fish, what its value is. I can write receipts and invoices. The state imposed a quota on me... let me decide, it's my labour. I don’t think you go to farmers and tell them to take the potato and sell it to Kaufland or Lidl, you don’t impose that as a state. So impose it to me? They plow their own potatoes, they do what they want with it. I catch my own fish, but I can't do what I want with it, because that's the law [...]. When they imposed the PFA, they didn’t give us any time and we had to pay taxes immediately. In the next second. You signed, you paid. Most fishermen started with empty hands. Some had a fishing boat left over from Piscicola. But not even that was his and some nets were also taken from Piscicola. But you cannot

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enter the fishing sector with a bag of nets. You have no possibility to pay your taxes or your healthcare. You cannot raise yourself.

What can I say, it's the same. The work.

But you cannot compare it with past work. Before, to give you an example, we went from Sfântu Gheorghe to Milea (the laguna close to the village), you were allowed to fish in the Milea, with a rowing boat. For those without engine boats. Although, after Piscicola closed down, some did not have engine boats anyway, and still rowed twoby-two. During the fall, you dropped the nets... at around 2 o'clock you had to be there. One hour to throw the nets, 2h and 30 to return, as you were following the current. And if the Good God gave you a back wind it would take 3 hours, or 4 hours. If I were allowed to fish in the Milea, for example, I would be there in 30 minutes, in 20 minutes I would throw my nets and in 20 minutes I am back home. But in this case, I already have other expenses, fuel, boat, engine maintenance.

Now, a fishing net for mackerel, so a full set to be used on the Danube, is about 2.500 lei. But you can easily lose part of that money in one day, or even the full amount if the current is strong, or you lose 200 lei. There are risks and you have to assume them. This wouldn’t be a problem. If everything would be organized, like it should, nobody would complain.

THE PROHIBITION

NEA NICU ● Without any consultation. We were preparing for the campaign, we were preparing the tools and in two days they came with the ban.

And from then on all kinds of contradictory discussions with the state took place, but it was too late. The interests were to seize one million euros, which meant yearly repopulation with young fish, to raise the young sturgeons and to release them in the Danube. That was the stake of the ban. And, for about 3 years, the research institute from Galați has done research on the imprint of aquaculture fish in the sea. Whether there is sturgeon or not, artificial or natural. But I don't know the results.

After the ban, 70%–80%, let's say, from the population re-profiled in tourism.

But the population was not supported with projects, to enter into a slightly more evolved tourism. Whoever had two or three rooms tried to survive somehow, to enter the tourism market, to earn a penny. The thing is that with tourism, with accommodation, with tours, we managed to overcome the prohibition. Secondly, there is also pressure on the other categories of fish. Due to the lack of fishing areas, people preferred to deal with tourism, because it can provide the minimum necessary for living in the community.

Given that here, because we are isolated, we see first the sun but the law last, the prices are catastrophic. Education is also affected. If you want to educate

your child, you have to send him away of money. They were disoriented, but after the 8th grade, and then other having some extra money some tried costs come up. But, animal breeding their luck with tourism, but there was and tourism solved the problem of the no one there to guide you. And it's hard. sturgeon ban. But the standardisation You have to have an open dialogue with and the banning without looking at the the tourists when they come [...]. In problem in depth or looking at why you my house, tourists have been coming can’t fish in one way or another, why a since I was a teenager. And it’s only species is in decline. They are not look- them who come into my backyard. Plus, ing in depth at the problem. The only tourism opportunities were seen from thing is: protect the fish resource. But above and locals were not announced. you cannot protect the fish resource And suddenly investors came and the by banning things. You can do any- locals were left behind. Most of them thing until you reach harmony. We also work for investors, so they don’t have discussed with the Reservation, the their own business. That's why I chose Biosphere, and the National Fisher- to go on my own, with fishing and with ies Agency. I was at a meeting in Au- tourism. As much as I can, I am ingust on what to do with fish farming in volved in tourism. With my possibilities, Romania because it’s bad, we are zero. I don’t need much more. With what We gave them solutions, all the partici- state institutions are you interacting pants who attended. But, in the Roma- as a fisherman? The fiscal authorities, nian style: it’s noted, it’s listened to, and the Delta Police, the gendarmes, the nothing is done. Because projects are Committee for Integrated Control, the made. It all depends on the projects. Environmental Guard — they are part But who is the beneficiary and when of ARBDD (the Administration of the are these supposed to be done… We Biosphere), the Border Police. They all submitted ideas, we have given solu- have some business with us: to stop us from poaching and posing a threat to tions to everything!

RAREȘ ● They were perplexed, at the national security. They all ask about least those who were fishing at sea. To our health. come from sea fishing to pond fishing... for the fisherman... besides that financially things were going down the drain.

Sea fishing is not always lucrative, but when you do catch a fish... or twothree per season... you have to fish for two years in the pond to get that kind

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THE STURGEON

NEA AFANASE ● But our main thing was the sturgeon. When they stopped the fishing now, in the Black Sea, they said it was because of barbaric fishing. It’s not barbaric fishing.

With carmace, they pierce the skin, you can see it clearly, it heals back. It wasn’t something dangerous for the sturgeon, it was just the noise that they didn’t like. They would feel the noise. My father used to tell us that he caught one. He went to weigh it. The scale could only weigh up to 500 kg. It didn’t budge, it could not measure the weight. And then, they sent it directly to Galați (Romanian city on the Danube), to the fish stock market. It had 520, my father told us. But in my time, from what I remember, about 2 pieces of 400 kg were caught.

NEA NICU ● From the sturgeon species, since I remember from my grandfather’s stories, the Atlantic sturgeon (șipul) was rare back then too. It did not disappear, and also the Bastard sturgeon (viza)! They were very rare as a species, and now you cannot say that the sturgeon is in danger, because two species that were very rare have disappeared. The Atlantic sturgeon (șipul) is a kind of mixture between the Russian sturgeon (nisetru) and the Beluga sturgeon (morun). The distribution of the scales looks like a Beluga, and the head, the color and the format were from the Russian sturgeon. And it was growing bigger than the Russian stur-

geon, because the Russian sturgeon reaches a maximum of 80 kilograms.

And the Atlantic sturgeon could also reach over 100 kilograms. And indeed, the quality of the roe was the best, and the production, the highest. From the current species of sturgeon — the starry sturgeon, the Russian sturgeon and the beluga — Russian sturgeon is the most productive, if we are taking into account the weight of the fish. The beluga can have 150 kilograms but it can produce up to 9 kilos of roe, depending on the female. And the Russian sturgeon, for a weight of 60–kilogram it can produce 15–20 kilos of roe.

And from sturgeon fishing, we, the community of Sfântu Gheorghe, we got the nickname of kismaneți. It comes from sturgeon intestines. Because in the interwar period, the fish traders were Greek. And the Greeks took the body (the meat) of the fish and the caviar. The head and the intestines stayed with the fishermen. Everyone thinks “oh, intestines”, but they are great. They reach a thickness of up to 2 cm. And they are considered a delicacy. Our grandparents and parents — before, when we could fish for sturgeon — they would prepare fish ciorbă (soured soup) with intestines. From the fish borsch, the intestines were never missing. Stew, stuffed peppers, whatever you wanted, sturgeon liver and intestine pies intestines. It was something amazing!

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NEA NICHITA ● The argument was that they were hurting them. Ok, also that their number was decreasing. But their number, it seems, is decreasing for other reasons. From an ecological standpoint, oil exploitation started under Ceaușescu and, absolutely, the drilling upset the layers of alluvial soil and it was quite easy for gases to come out, even oil and so on. And not only this. The fishermen, their great majority... even my father said: don’t become a fisherman. They sent their children somewhere else. The number of fishermen decreased. [...] What is happening? With these sturgeon, there’s a story. Purely ecological. And that is the following: they cannot live in desertified areas. They live in areas where algae are growing, where there are tiny snails, where you have all sorts of minuscule creatures. They don’t eat, like some say: if you’re a whale, you only eat elephants. And they need vegetation. If you come, like Ceaușescu invented, with trawlers, that many time would cross from Sulina to Constanța, to check their tools, which were made for the ocean, they would get in, plowing deep in the springtime, when you have the sturgeon season generally, when the sturgeon has its caviar... it’s obvious, no? And, categorically, the whole seashore was being plowed all the way to Constanța.

ARE THEY GONE OR NOT?

NEA AFANASE ● We had some, fort, because it was no longer the same for a while, we caught three pieces of effort, say in 2000 compared to 1989. beluga sturgeon, one with roe and one Because many fishermen who were old without, using the ohane (nets). And and have retired, and the youth did not the rest, if you caught any, was Russian start fishing, and fishing had already sturgeon (nisetru). Then it disappeared become a private affair. Once it beas well, I don’t know what the deal is, came private the costs were very high either we destroyed it, or I don’t know. for sturgeon fishing with hooks. And And once, with the ohane, we caught you needed lots of hooks, boats, ropes, around 100 kilograms of Russian stur- motorization. And we found out about geon. Then you used to catch them by the implementation of the ban. That it the kilo, even 2 kg pieces, everything was signed very quickly. Due to various that was Russian sturgeon was caught. interests and the false reporting, it led But like this, to eat, to earn money to this prohibition, which brought many from ohane that wasn’t possible. But it losses to the community of Sfântu might be that the ohane destroyed the Gheorghe. We do not have ponds (inner Russian sturgeon. Because, at first, when water, lakes) around us, now we have there was no ohane, it was good, we had assigned some fishing areas, but you Russian sturgeon. Then, from one year go exactly where the people are. You to the next, nothing. But then the Starry have Caraorman, Sulina, Crișan, we sturgeon appeared and we would catch can’t go like intruders there. They occu3, 4, 5 kg pieces, but the Russian stur- pied the good spots. We know from the elders that an occupied spot cannot be geon disappeared, it was gone.

NEA NICU ● But the issue is that taken over. Everybody takes one spot, grandpa used to tell them: eat now, that’s the rule of the game in fishing. because there may come times when NEA GRIGORE ● But who knows you won’t be able to eat. And indeed now, if there is or if there isn’t any sturthose times have come. And we don’t geon. We are not fishing it. Who would have the possibility to do it... we are left fish it now? And where? We used to with memories. Memories imposed by be 10 teams of sturgeon fishermen. others [...]. These reports, which were Each team had 3 boats. So that would not sent to CITES, also led the Europe- make 30 boats working with carmace. ans to believe that by 1989, there were 14.000 carmace, of perimeters. And in catches, and after 1990, 1991, 1992, two years they all disappeared, nobody catches have decreased. But the catch- knows if they were sold, or bought or es did not decrease, it only decreased where did they disappear. Everywhere, from the point of view of the fishing ef- there were controls on the Delta, they

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were confiscating carmace. They spread everywhere, the carmace. Now we don’t know, they are not fishing for it, the ships are not running so much, there’s no noise, maybe there might be sturgeon. Now scrumbia albastră (Atlantic Mackarel) disappeared completely. Pălămida (Sarda) disappeared completely, we caught only two last year, on two separate days. Before we used to have lufar (Bluefish) up to a kilogram, now you can only find young specimens, there is no longer that good old lufar. Long gone, many species are gone.

NEA NICU ● Yes, it’s true. There was no black market, the fish would be reported, the fisherman was free to take some of it home for eating, without having to answer to it. But afterwards, the black market started in Sfântu Gheorghe, it was one of those things... some people said it was good, but afterwards they realized that it wasn’t good at all. They were fishing for the caviar. Until the prohibition was imposed, I don’t know for what reasons, because in my opinion the sturgeon exists and it will exist in the future. This prohibition was imposed from somewhere else.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE

NEA AFANASE ● I would change the work safety practices. They scattered apart, everybody is fishing as they wish, where they wish, there is no organizing. People cannot organize in teams, to work and to work with what?

Everybody made their own tools, focusing on fresh water fishing. But on the sea, even if they will allow it again, there will be nobody to start fishing.

NEA NICU ● Currently, the Delta is in danger, not because of the endangered fish species, but because of bad management. Out of all the channels in the Delta, 90% are blocked. And some of them can still be used only because we are using motor boats, that if there were no boats with powerful engines all the channels would be clogged up by vegetation. If the water current can’t flow the fish is also not circulating. Because of the high heat, the water degenerates in the summer, it no longer gets oxygen and this affects the fish.

Because of this, in some marshy lakes, the fish smells bad, or dies. No one is intervening.

RAREȘ ● As a fisherman what can I do? Should I make a breeding farm in my backyard? It would be absurd. Yes, I can set up a fish farm with 5–6 fishermen, but then exempt me from taxes. I won’t give the state any money. To be able to show the product, we show them that this is the brood we reproduced. Am I allowed to fish again? Yes. This year I didn't produce a brood. I will

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stay on the shore. But then stop the taxing. But you still take money from fishermen. What are you doing with that money for the Delta? Nothing, so far [...]. Many say that we are exploiting the Delta, but if this is my life what can I do? Give me other options and I will stop fishing. I will leave everything, but guarantee me a living. Give me a job to take care of my family. I will take all the tools to the depo, so you don't say that I am using them at night. But give me alternatives. If you give me tourists, it doesn't work, because the tourists want to eat fish. So you cannot separate tourism from fishing. Do you want to close it industrially? Sure. Leave it for tourism only. But the rest of the year, after the end of the tourism period, two months per year in Sfântu Gheorghe, I have to do something to earn money to support my family. I can’t stop fishing, I have no other choice... I do not see any other way.

This publication is the result of the cooperation of researchers and journalists in the Black Waters project run by the Center for Media, Data and Society at Central European University. The aim of this project — funded by the Open Society Initiative for Europe — was to investigate environmental issues and their social consequences.

Collaborators: Dumitrița Holdiș (Central European University), Ana-Maria Luca (BIRN), Marcel Gascon (BIRN), Mira Bălan (research assistant) Project Partners: Átlátszó , Balkan Investigative Reporting Network: BIRN Printed at Newspaper Club, London Font: Neue Haas Unica, Victor Serif Paper: 45 gsm Salmon Design: Grapho_mat

I arrived in Sfântu Gheorghe in June ever had time for me in the middle of lieve that environmental issues will only 2019, with a well formulated research the tourist season. I talked to young become worse and in these conditions question, with a methodology in hand and experienced fishermen, with local we will see the authoritarian arm of the and a fieldwork notebook. I lived at administrators, business men, geog- state becoming stronger. Sfântu GheoRaluca and Mihai’s (my hosts) for for- raphers, biologists, fish experts, ecol- rghe is a microcosm, with its good and ty days, on the 13th street. I left with ogists, housewives, the community bad. I am hoping their struggle will be many questions, dilemmas and con- nurse, local guides, and their children. just a warning, not a prophecy. tradictory thoughts and a full fieldwork I took interviews in the evening, in the So, on top of not letting anybody be in notebook. I declared my research a morning, with coffee, beer, on the boat, Sfântu, I returned to the village in the success. I believe that anybody who on the shore, in the reservation, in the fall, this time with a recorder. I recorded leaves a community after 6 weeks, with town hall. I read old books, new books, interviews with anybody who wanted all the answers, they are probably do- scientific articles, fiction, good media to talk to me and I made a radio series reports, terrible media reports, I even for the local community radio. It was ing something wrong.

The research I was conducting that read the Biosphere’s Administrative broadcasted once a week, as part of year was looking at the relationship be- Master Plan for 2005. It has 300 pages the Life of the Fisherman show. The series was never meant to be an analysis tween a state, in this case the Romani- and it’s surprisingly captivating. an state, and a fishermen community And what did I learn in 40 days? May- of the situation, it is not a summary of from the Danube Delta. In the back- be nothing that is not already obvious my research. It’s a series of interviews ground there were environmental prob- for anybody who lives in the village. with nea Afanase, nea Ilie, nea Nicu, lems, related to the endangered spe- The most important lesson was this: with Rareș, tanti Olga, tanti Natalia, nea cies status of the sturgeon. Because that the local community is in an abu- Nichita, nea Grigore. And one ecoloof this threatened status, the state sive relationship with the Romanian gist. One episode with a specialist in declared in 2006 a total prohibition on state, that the bureaucratic machine environmental protection, from the fishing sturgeon species. I understood, has attached at least one (or seven) World Wildlife Fund (WWF). This one in relative abstraction, the impact the policing arms who supervise, punish, episode must be tolerated. Mira (radio prohibition had on a community that control everything that has to do with volunteer), Ana and Marcel (journalists) used to be leading sturgeon fishing ef- fishing. Even now, I find it difficult to helped me with the recordings. Liana forts for centuries. I also knew that in remember the names of all the con- Ganea from Radio Civic helped with the Romanian mass-media, poaching trol organs present in the Delta: The the broadcasting. The Sfântu Gheorghe was being brought up, but not much Environmental Guard, the Delta Police, Ukrainian choir helped with the singing, more. I wanted to understand how the the Borger Guards and 4–5 more. But and I put it all together. fishermen see this situation. A com- the most painful lesson was this: that Why did I publish these fragments? munity of about 800 people during the this relationship, between the commu- They are pieces of unfinished conversummer (peak tourist season, when nity and the state is humiliating and it sations. They do not have a practical many who do not regularly live in the provokes anger and resentment. That goal. They do not want to educate or village move back) confronting the Ro- this is a personal relationship, not one convince you of anything. I see them manian state — global warming — the between a state and some economic as subjective and personal archives, a market economy — demographic de- agents. I saw this anger manifesting form of documenting our discussions. cline. Many questions, big concepts, in many interviews and many times I The format of this publication is a jourhad a feeling of guilt. Why did I have nalistic one, but more for our amuselittle time.

I started the field. For a sociologist who to ask these questions? I should have ment than for anything else. The picmainly uses qualitative research meth- left these people be. But I do feel that tures are just extra. They are there for ods (meaning I don’t count anything) what is happening now in the Delta is a their beauty. this meant mostly talking to whom- glimpse into our common future. I be-

NOTE: If you are reading this paper and you are not from Sfântu Gheorghe, you might not understand some things (carmace), some words (ghionder), some situation (the prohibition). If you are a foreigner, you will also not understand institutions (Piscicola), places (Sulina) and many other things. It’s absolutely alright not to understand them. Because anything related to Sfântu Gheorghe cannot be fully understood reading a newspaper. My advice is to use the opportunity presented by your lack of understanding to talk to a local. But only if the local wants to talk to you as well.