The Sea Has Memory

Author: Gemma Parés
Category: Photographic Story
Location: Costa Brava
Description: It is common to hear the fishermen of our coast refer to themselves as the “garbage collectors of the sea.” For some years now, their job has not been limited to fishing; they also bring back a lot of marine waste to the ports. This issue has been denounced by the fishing communities, and although resources are being invested and environmental awareness efforts are being made by the authorities, the solution remains complex.
For several years now, I have been visiting the ports of the Costa Brava, using photography to denounce this situation. In addition to capturing mountains of waste, I have also photographed true relics. A soda can from the 1992 Olympics, a bomb, a doll from a horror movie, a Ninja Turtle… In this reportage, I wanted to showcase these marine relics from years past. The sea transports us to moments of the Olympics, to wars, to our youth… The sea has memory.
Furthermore, I have included two of the major current issues. The sea is full of single-use wipes, and masks are increasingly present in significant quantities.