honorable mention
Lukas Zander germany
title
Is nix armer as'n Fiskersmann
Due to the ongoing criticism of the environmental associations, the fishermen are confronted with ever new existential problems. New sanctions against the fishery make the survival of this professional group more difficult. The question comes up whether and how the fisherman’s profession can be exercised. Shrimp boats will give way to big deep-sea trawlers. Small companies sooner or later will be displaced by large corporations. And a traditional life design will be just a job like any other.
For the project I accompanied four of the last shrimp boats during their work on the coast of Ostfriesland. I’ve tried to visually capture the atmosphere on board, as well as the passion of the fishermen for this dying profession. On the one hand, the project should be understood as a documentary testimony, on the other hand it conveys a romanticized attitude to life. Furthermore, it can be considered as a plea for the preservation of craft with personality.
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entry description
Along the German North Sea coast the villages Greetsiel, Norddeich and Varel are located. The port cities, which are currently dominated by tourism, are also home to a part of the last Northern German shrimp fleet. The work of the crab fisherman was still a widespread profession among coastal residents at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, it is increasingly suffering from the constant changes in the environment and falling catches. These problems are contrasted by growing competition and falling selling prices. Despite these difficulties, the fishermen try every day to save their lives and work anew.Due to the ongoing criticism of the environmental associations, the fishermen are confronted with ever new existential problems. New sanctions against the fishery make the survival of this professional group more difficult. The question comes up whether and how the fisherman’s profession can be exercised. Shrimp boats will give way to big deep-sea trawlers. Small companies sooner or later will be displaced by large corporations. And a traditional life design will be just a job like any other.
For the project I accompanied four of the last shrimp boats during their work on the coast of Ostfriesland. I’ve tried to visually capture the atmosphere on board, as well as the passion of the fishermen for this dying profession. On the one hand, the project should be understood as a documentary testimony, on the other hand it conveys a romanticized attitude to life. Furthermore, it can be considered as a plea for the preservation of craft with personality.
back to gallery