2/25: David vs. Goliath, the Forever Pollution Lobby, Another Year of Records

In this issue, we share several David vs. Goliath stories — small producers challenging large industrial groups: from the impact of industrial tuna farming in Malta on the populations of small pelagic fish to the struggles of small-scale fishers in Italy and Spain to receive EU money (unlike their larger counterparts) to small olive growers in Andalusia facing expropriation to make way for new solar panel fields. But that's not all — we also cover a new investigation on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (or PFAS as they’re more commonly known) and the ongoing lobbying to block their regulation. On a brighter note, reforestation efforts have begun on Stromboli following the 2022 blaze that destroyed half of the island. As always, we hope you enjoy this issue, and feel free to send us feedback, questions or suggestions.

The unsustainable farming of tuna. An investigative piece published in Internazionale exposes how bluefin tuna farming in the Mediterranean — particularly in Malta — is unsustainable both environmentally and socially.

Here’s how it works: Tuna, a top predator in the marine food chain, is caught in the central Mediterranean, transferred to farms, placed in cages and fattened with small pelagic fish, such as sardines, anchovies and mackerel. Since tuna requires massive amounts of food to grow, this practice leads to the consumption of enormous quantities of smaller forage fish. "It’s like farming lions for meat — does that make sense?" says Emanuela Fanelli, a marine ecologist at Marche Polytechnic University, who was interviewed for the story. "Aquaculture of top predators is unsustainable from every perspective."

Once the tuna reach sufficient size, they are caught and exported to Japan, Korea and the U.S., where they are sold at exorbitant prices that are accessible only to a privileged few. According to the article, this production cycle generates massive profits for just six companies controlled by a handful of families, operating like cartels to dictate tuna prices. Meanwhile, it exacerbates the overfishing of small pelagic fish — an affordable and essential food source for many.

A struggling fishing community. The decline in fishery resources and the increase in invasive species are impacting a fishing village on the Turkish coast called Bozburun, as told in this article published in The New Arab and featured in The Tideline. Local fishermen, who have been doing this job for generations, are struggling to catch enough fish such as red mullet, whiting and horse mackerel to survive economically due to excessive illegal fishing, weak conservation enforcement and the rise in invasive species, like the puffer fish.

David vs Goliath. Mussel farmers in the Mediterranean and shellfish pickers in Galicia have been struggling for years, primarily due to rising sea temperatures that cause large-scale death events of these species. The European Union has allocated billions of euros to support the sector, but according to an investigative article by The Guardian — reported by Natalie Donback and Vittoria Torsello, who are both participants in the Magmatic School of Environmental Journalism, together with Naomi Mihara — small local producers face significant challenges in accessing these funds and navigating the complex application processes. As a result, the majority of the money ends up in the hands of large industrial groups despite the EU’s stated mission to support sustainable fisheries and strengthen coastal communities (The Guardian).

Uprooting trees to make room for solar parks. Another story that highlights the tension between small producers and large industrial groups is the one reported by Bernardo Álvarez-Villar Artola (another participant in our environmental journalism program) for El Salto. The article reveals how some small olive grove owners in Lopera, in the north of Jaén, Andalusia, are being expropriated against their will because the Andalusian government has decided to grant the land to Greenalia, a renewable energy company, to build solar panel fields in place of the olive trees. This is causing tension between the farmers, who feel powerless, and the company, which takes advantage of the low cost to produce energy there to later sell to the rest of Europe, particularly to big cities.

The forever pollution lobby. Another episode of the Forever Pollution Project has been released, a project led by investigative journalists from various outlets, including Le Monde, The Guardian, NDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung. This cross-border investigation deals with the issue of PFAS, synthetic chemicals that are used in many consumer goods. These substances never disappear and seep into not only the environment but the animals that ingest them, including humans. This latest in-depth investigation sheds light on how lobbyists are managing to limit the regulation or eventual ban of PFAS production. According to the investigation, lobbyists are using the same tactics that were used years ago to prevent the banning of cigarettes, essentially arguing that they aren’t that harmful, are essential to the economy and that the environmental damage isn’t that severe (Forever Lobbying Project).

Hazardous temperatures. In this issue, we highlight a study recently published in Nature Medicine. After analyzing temperature and mortality data across European cities, the researchers conclude that if humans continue to produce climate-altering emissions, both hot and cold extremes could cause more than two million extra deaths by 2099 (Nature).

2024: Another year of records. At the beginning of the year, Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, released its climate highlights report for 2024. Last year was the hottest ever recorded, both in Europe and globally, since 1850 — surpassing the previous record set in 2023. But that’s not the only record set: 2024 was also the first year in which the global temperature exceeded the pre-industrial level by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). According to the report, 2023 and 2024 were particularly warm due to the acceleration of climate change driven by human emissions and an unusually warm phase of ocean variability leading to unprecedented sea surface temperature anomalies in many regions. And 2025 is expected to follow suit. Experts predict that this year will also rank among the hottest since 1850 — it’s just a matter of whether it takes second or third place.

Santorini shakes. For the past week, the ground has continued to shake in Santorini, where thousands of earthquakes have been recorded. The strongest, measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale, was felt Wednesday evening. Greece has declared a state of emergency for the island until early March (CNN). Over 11,000 residents have already left the island by ferry or plane, though with some difficulty due to the number of people trying to flee at the same time. The epicenter of the activity is a few miles north of Santorini around the little island of Anydros. Santorini is located on what is known as the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, a chain of volcanic islands. But according to Greek authorities, the recent tremors were due to tectonic plate movements, not volcanic activity (BBC).

Reforestation begins in Stromboli. Going back to Italy, on the island of Stromboli, reforestation work has begun following the massive fire of 2022, which broke out during the filming of a TV series. And speaking of reforestation, an article in the Italian newspaper Il Foglio highlights that cities should cover 30 percent of their territories with trees to help reduce temperatures. However, planting trees — and maintaining them — is not as simple as it seems. In Egypt, the government would like to plant fruit trees along busy streets to cool the cities and simultaneously produce food, but the initiative could pose greater risks than anticipated if the quality of this harvested fruit isn't monitored as it may absorb pollutants and potentially harm health if consumed.

Saltwater pools in Greece. This summer, you're likely to find saltwater pools in Greece. To cope with water scarcity, the Greek government has allowed residents to draw seawater to fill the pools at their homes, hotels and resorts in drought-prone areas. While the measure aims to conserve freshwater for drinking and agriculture, critics warn that it comes with an ecological impact as seawater needs to be treated and tested before being discharged back into the sea (eKathimerini).

Climate change is already here. The effects of climate change in the Mediterranean basin have already become the new normal, according to this New York Times article, which is replete with infographics. It highlights how the region’s geography — characterized by very high mountains close to an increasingly warmer sea — fosters the formation of extreme storms, especially along coastal areas where most of the population is concentrated. As a result, floods (like the one that recently hit Valencia) are becoming more frequent.

Lesson learned from Valencia floods. We leave you with an interesting video by Arte about how Spanish engineers and technicians are analyzing and developing strategies to prevent future floods from being as devastating as the one that struck south of Valencia last October. The video highlights the success story of a town that, years ago, demolished several houses built too close to the riverbed in a flood-prone area. “A la vora del riu no t’hi facis el niu,” says one of the interviewees. This popular saying literally means, “Don’t build your nest on the river’s shore.”

Lapilli is the newsletter that collects monthly news and insights on the environment and the Mediterranean, seen in the media and selected by Magma.