There are so intense days on which, on completion, you need to think to draw the right lessons. Sunday 4 May was one of these. In St. Peter's Monastery in Lamosa, Provaglio Iseo in the province of Brescia, was delivered to Vincenzo Billeci, Assessor-fisherman Lampedusa representing the workers of the sea, an award in memory of Francesco Arrigoni, journalist and student of Veronelli.

I did not know Francis, but these days I read about him. A man who loved the mountains, who lived his passions in intimacy, unaccustomed to the fashions of the moment and the waves. A man of character who was not hiding behind a comfortable status quo that unfortunately, I woke up after a slumber of years due to a, I'm experiencing in this society. I am convinced that we would have gone very well.

The award is dedicated to him the solidarity shown by the fishermen of Lampedusa, in recent decades, to the thousands of migrants that the law of the sea with his teachings, forces to rescue. A rescue dictated by conscience, which unfortunately is in conflict with the laws of men which prohibits fishermen to intervene in support of illegal immigrants, in case of emergency.

Vincenzo Billeci interviewed by journalist Gianni Mura

"The emergency call. But how is it possible that an emergency hard to twenty-five years? Emergency which, among other things remind us coast 300.000 EUR per day. "Vincenzo Billeci complaint with these words a situation that has persisted for years.

I feel very close to the fishermen. Last summer I spoke to them in Fiumicino, and Pozzuoli, a Crotone. I wanted to understand what is possible, because in a country like Italy with 7450 km of coastline, fishing is dying. Surely the expensive diesel, The burro, the illegal and the institutions do not facilitate this sector. But it does not end here ... Vincent said that in Lampedusa Tunisian fishing vessels only three miles from the island, for nearly one hundred and fifty days a year. The Coast Guard operates but without great results. I still do not understand, but perhaps there is nothing to understand, because it is already all too clear.

At the end of ceremony I stopped to talk with him at length. In the years 80/90 fishermen in Lampedusa were six hundred, now there are only a little more than two hundred. It 's very different to listen to the problems experienced in the first person by those who live on land and sea. Are our politicians who should do it, because it is from them, from land and sea that we must start. I often wonder if we'll be able to repair the damage that we have done.

Vincenzo Billeci is not just a fisherman, Scrivia's poesie. We carry one who wrote in October 2013. Yesterday, when we said goodbye, it gave me an autographed copy. This will keep it carefully among the things dear.

Until a short time ago I was involved in the organization and optimization of resources, actually I still am, because I apply these principles in everything I do.

Today my challenge starts here.

In recent months I have been in Taranto, a Crotone, and Pozzuoli, Fiumicino ... well I've been in places of the sea, but especially in places dedicated to fishing. To better understand this area, I tried to approach trying to organize an exit night with fishermen, to follow their work, to understand talking and living with their. Unfortunately, the mistral is not favored me, repeatedly blocking my plans.

I am a hard head, some would say a hothead, in fact they are a passionate and idealistic, and do not give up easily. Precisely for this reason I have continued to deepen the topic to understand .... I did it in Naples, of Taranto, Crotone and in Fiumicino. I stopped and talked with them, some were wary, while others, after realizing my real interest, I explained.

People fought, dashed, tired, almost gave up on the state of things, people to listen to. I am well aware that the difficulties of everyday life is very different than writing and talking about.

I love my country and its people, talking to them live on the territory, of the nord sud. I support the passion and enthusiasm, even if it is sometimes put a strain on the disappointments. But it is a matter of seconds, because just a shoulder to 'make me act and react’ the only way that I: People listen to me and interpreter of the voice of the people, one that works, i veri Italiani.

That said step to step, because I want to understand ...

• In Italy there are about 7450 km of coastline, but fishing is dying. Something is wrong, something I can not understand, especially in a time of crisis like this, that optimize what we have left should be a priority issue. Someone will define boring, even talkative stressing continuously, in what I write, the same concepts.

• In Italy, the fashion, Tourism, l’agricoltura, fishing, food and wine are the leading sectors, and as such should be favored the most of their paths. Unfortunately it is not so. I still do not understand ...

These are hot days, days of deep crisis. There is no mention of other games that powers salaried politicians from Italy that works, that if I remember well! I do not want to talk about their, mi logora, mi la bharti, I find it useless and frustrating. I want to talk about our productions, of Italian, their hardships.

I reiterate an important number, our own wealth and as such should be valued. We have 7450 km of coastline, but fishing is dying.

They tell me that in Mazara del Vallo in recent years by 380 vessels have been left 80, Fiumicino seven years ago there were 45, now there are 25, Crotone is happening the same thing. The fishermen are on their knees. It is destroying one of the most important economic.

They tell me that in late September for a month there will be a biological rest for the repopulation of the seas. A still for trawling though this concerns only the vessels. Do not stop the small fishing. But I ask, is really small? Once a small fishing nets used a meter and a half high, now come to 12 meters. Once they stopped to 3 miles into the sea, now stop at 10…

Why not stop all, and not a per mese, but for a year! And then, because they allow outputs 14 ore in mare! Should be allowed a maximum 8 hours! These are the words of the fishermen, those who love the sea, those that do not exploit.

Their first problem is the high cost of diesel, the second is the bureaucracy and institutions that do not help them as they should, the third is the illegal ...