Ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference, La Matinale offers you a salty selection of books to help you better understand the marine world and the people who live alongside it.Demander à ChatGPT
THE MATINALE LIST
From June 9 to 13, representatives from over 70 countries will gather in Nice for the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC). This event will give both French and international delegations an opportunity to announce their commitments to ocean preservation. The ocean is under immense pressure — from climate change to plastic pollution and overfishing.
To better understand these vast marine expanses, the biodiversity they shelter, and the men and women who live and work alongside them, Le Monde presents a selection of four recently published books, each with a unique format and perspective.
Sailing Alongside Fishermen
To truly grasp — even just slightly — the unique world of fishing and its deep connection to the ocean, one likely needs to set sail. Yet this 200-page book manages to bring to life the daily experiences of the men and women who work among the waves, far from loved ones and the normal rhythm of time. It also sheds light on their spiritual connections.
The book takes the form of a personal testimony: that of one of the two authors, Mikel Epalza — a Basque priest who has made the sea his parish. In this fluid and heartfelt narrative, snapshots of life unfold — from childhood memories to fruitless fishing trips. The stories also reveal the profound changes affecting fisheries, the plight of merchant sailors abandoned in ports, and the growing pressures on the sea — dating back to a time “when no one realized just how polluted it was.”
Source: Le monde
