Monsters of the Venice Lagoon: Feral Algae and Alien Invaders in Local Fishermen’s Stories

Abstract

Employing an ecocritical and posthuman framework, this article examines the environmental narratives of local fishermen in the Venice Lagoon and their engagement with “monstrous” aquatic creatures. Due to climate change, domestic and industrial pollution, and overfishing, the Venice Lagoon faces multiple threats, including sediment erosion, invasive species, and habitat degradation. After conducting semi-structured interviews with eight local fishermen who have directly experienced the environmental changes occurring in the Venice Lagoon in the past decades, this study analyzes their perceptions of aquatic species they regard as “negative,” either due to their impact on fishing activities or their disruption of the ecosystem. The thematic analysis highlights notions of “ferality” and “otherness” in relation to these organisms: macroalgae, sea walnuts, and blue crabs proliferate uncontrollably, obstruct fishing nets, and cause ecological disruption. By exploring the entanglements, risks and possibilities generated by monstrous human/non-human encounters in the lagoon, this research reveals how the “monsters” in fishermen’s stories show their agency, challenge anthropocentric narratives, and compel us to reimagine new ways of becoming-with the aquatic more-than-human world.