Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — You may or may not agree about how to eat tuna, but have you ever thought about how to catch it?
During a diving trip in Italy, Italian photographer Pasquale Vasallo was able to highlight the “strength and tenacity” of a tuna fish as it attempted to free itself from fishing nets.
In an interview with CNN in Arabic, Vasallo explains that his photo, which was described as “a powerful combination that shows us the daily life of food production” during the competition for the title of Best Underwater Photographer of 2022, was taken in the Gulf of Naples in southern Italy in the waters of the Mediterranean.
Vasallo then wanted to document the fish still alive in fishing nets near the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Vasalou points out the intriguing story about this photograph titled “Into the Nets.” As he climbed the nets to retrieve the caught fish, Vasau noticed the strength and perseverance of some tuna fish in trying to free themselves, but unfortunately it was a very difficult task.
The attempt to capture this picture was not without obstacles, as the photographer risked becoming trapped in the nets as well, as the fisherman on the boat did not notice him.
Vasallo recalls the sadness he felt while watching the tuna fish fight for its life and swim to the bottom.
During this period, Vasallo’s interest was in documenting the interaction between marine organisms and the waste people leave at sea.
“Through my work, I am trying to spread awareness of this issue, in the hope that there will be a change in course,” he added.
Vasallo’s photo was admired by his followers, who expressed their sympathy for the besieged tuna fish, which is the same feeling he experienced during the filming of this shot, he said.
Overfishing, due to illegal, unregulated and undocumented fishing, has depleted tuna populations in many areas.
Many countries depend on tuna for both food security and nutrition, and more than 80 countries have tuna fisheries, with growing capacity, according to the United Nations Environment Program website.
World Tuna Day, first celebrated on 2 May 2017, aims to disseminate information about the potential impact of significantly degrading tuna stocks, and highlight the economic and social benefits of creating more sustainable fishing practices.