I have spent my entire life on the banks of rivers and lakes, and the last decade traveling half the world with my fishing rods. From mountain rivers in Europe to the most remote lakes in America, I have seen how each culture has a unique relationship with water. In some places, fishing is cultural, tied to subsistence; in others, it is a tourist attraction or a technical industry. But there is something that repeats itself across all latitudes: it is rare to find a place where there is no trash on the shores.
A few days ago, in Villarrica, a town in southern Chile, I had the opportunity to join a group of local fishing guides who have been doing what no one else wants to do for 16 years. Every two or three months, these men put down their rods and boats to pick up what others leave behind. It is not a press event or a marketing campaign; it is a matter of territorial dignity.
This time we collected 800 kilos of garbage. Eight hundred. Mostly cans and glass bottles, the obvious trace of an attitude of having fun in nature combined with a clear lack of awareness and education.
What struck me during the day was not only the volume of waste but the loneliness of the operation. We were four adults and two minors: a teenager and a seven-year-old boy, the son of one of the guides, Victor Bulnes, who never tires of sharing the wonders of the Great Cradle of Fish of the Toltén River, as he calls it.
Seeing a seven-year-old boy pick up trash with the seriousness of a veteran, carrying sacks on a shore that should be clean so he could simply play, gives you a raw image of our failure as a society. He is paying a debt he is not guilty of, with impeccable attitude, just like his brother, who did not want to appear much in the photos but never stopped working.
The response of the people camping in the area was varied. Some joined the cleanup with a bit of shyness (perhaps shame), although many blamed others for the mess and accumulation of waste. Some sincerely thanked us for the operation.
The Municipality of Villarrica provided the materials — sacks and gloves — which is a start, but gloves do not pick up trash by themselves. What is missing is muscle, political will, and citizen will to understand that caring for the environment is not a voluntary task but a shared obligation to continue enjoying the privilege of rivers and bodies of water around the world.
From this blog, my intention is not to give moral lessons. But I cannot stop thinking that, as fishermen, we have a privileged position in knowing our fishing spots and therefore a greater responsibility. The river gives us peace, beauty, sport, and sustenance; the least we can do is give it back a little respect.
Can you imagine what would happen if in every town fishermen came together to clean and raise awareness about respect for nature among new generations? I will not deny that seeing this small group of people of different ages doing this work without hesitation every year gives me hope: if there is will, it can be done.
At PlanetPesca, we make our platform available to spread the word, help organize, find government or private support, to ensure that this mentality we found in Villarrica can be extended to all fishermen who love nature. Write to us on Instagram @planetpesca or comment on this article and tell us about your initiative.
