Not Illegal Fishing Competition
2023-2024; participatory project
Commissioned by Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana
In collaboration with the Embassy of the North Sea
Flowing from afar to the heart of Barcelona, the Llobregat River is both vital and neglected. Heavily polluted since the Industrial Revolution, it supplies half the city’s drinking water daily, yet many residents have never visited it.
Today, river’s ecosystem hosts more introduced species than native ones, particularly in its downstream areas. Here, eight invasive species have established themselves, including the Florida pond turtle, mosquito fish, common carp, Welsh catfish, common bleak, Asian clam, New Zealand mud snail, and American crayfish. This proliferation raises difficult questions: Are we oversimplifying by labeling invasive species as “bad”? To what extent should humans interfere with nature and biodiversity? Is the concept of invasive species a scientific classification or an ethical judgment?
The Not Illegal Fishing Competition seeks to engage the public with these questions and the broader ecosystem of the Llobregat. Inspired by invasive-species fishing competitions in Taiwan, the event invites participants to identify species using the iNaturalist app, while licensed fishers may also bring their own gear. Guided by ecologists, participants are encouraged to explore the ethics of invasive species management and human roles in ecosystem care.
This competition highlights the layered responsibilities humans have toward non-human life in urban ecosystems. At the heart of the event is a tension within environmentalism: Catalan law mandates the removal of invasive species, yet other laws prohibit cruelty to animals. Through this conflict, the Not Illegal Fishing Competition opens a space for reflection on navigating human and non-human interests—prompting participants to reconsider questions of care, responsibility, and the ethical complexities of ecological intervention.
Supported by Ammodo and Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Spain
Concept: Sheng-Wen Lo, Leon Lapa Pereira, Harpo ‘t Hart
Graphic design and illustrations: Jasmine De Bruycker
Cartoon: Wieger Windhorst
Ecological Advice: Pau Fortuño Estrada, Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles
Production: Javi Morera, Aina Canyelles
Thanks to: Christiane Bosman, Thijs Middeldorp, Pau Esteban, Dr. Fang-Yee Lin
Manifesta 15 takes place across the metropolitan region of Barcelona from the 8th of September until the 24th of November 2024.