Environmental Portraits: Ramon Cosa, Fisherman in Badalona

Fishing Nets Full of Junk
I met Ramon Cosa at the small port near Badalona, where his boat is moored. He’s a seasoned fisherman with plenty to say about the state of the local marine environment—and most of it isn’t pretty. I was photographing him for a feature on environmental issues and pollution along the Catalan coast.

Unwanted Catches and Plastic Graveyards
In one photo, he stands next to a crate brimming with junk pulled from the sea—buckets, bottles, tangled wires, and more. Apparently, this kind of haul isn’t uncommon. During heavy rains, the storm drains overflow, flushing everything from streets to the open water. Ramon described an offshore area where the buildup of plastics has completely killed off marine vegetation.

Nets, Sanitary Waste, and Bureaucracy
One of the biggest headaches for fishermen like Ramon? Sanitary products. Once waterlogged, they tangle with the nets and become so heavy they’re unusable. On top of that, he’s deeply frustrated with the local government’s manipulation of building regulations. According to him, construction projects are pushing right up to the beaches—thanks to a loophole involving temporary dams that “move” the shoreline just enough to skirt legal distance restrictions.