Journal | Lagoonscapes
Journal issue | 4 | 1 | 2024
Research Article | Gone with the Clam
Gone with the Clam
Multispecies Arrangements and Feral Rhythms in the Goro Lagoon (Po River Delta)
Abstract
The Goro Lagoon, located at the southern edge of the Po River Delta, is considered a major European site for clam farming. Following the advent of the Manila Clam ‘revolution’ in the 1980s, the local community transitioned from traditional fishing to a mono-focalised ecological infrastructure focused on aquaculture. However, in the last decade, anthropogenic climate alterations have severely impacted the lagoon and its industrial system, triggering a series of accelerated proliferations of macroalgae and non-indigenous species – the Atlantic Blue Crab being the most prominent one. The article investigates the eco-cultural entanglement of the Goro Lagoon and critically explores the multispecies correspondences that excited its biosocial becoming. Thus, the concept of ‘arrangement’ is employed to question both local representations of clam farming and the feral disturbances endangering its feasibility. Finally, ethical and political implications are discussed in light of the cultural expectations of controllability embedded in the technocratic administration of the lagoon.
Submitted: April 8, 2024 | Accepted: June 5, 2024 | Published July 11, 2024 | Language: en
Keywords Environmental anthropology • Multispecies ethnography • Goro Lagoon • Climate change • Po River Delta • Non-indigenous species • Clam farming
Copyright © 2024 Francesco Danesi della Sala. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/LGSP/2785-2709/2024/01/006
