Guardians, not hunters: my "NO" to EUDI 2026
Recently, in the silence of the reef, I locked eyes with a squirrelfish. In those big eyes, I didn’t see a prey, but a silent plea for help. It was a lesson in our responsibility: we humans should be the guardians of a fragile balance that we are instead destroying at an insane speed. We cannot call ourselves “sea lovers” and, at the same time, legitimize those who enter that world to take life away.
It is with this memory in my heart that I look toward next February’s EUDI Show in Bologna. After last year’s excellent result in the Actioncam Video competition, I had every reason to return, but this year my seat will remain empty.
The management’s decision to introduce the “EUDI Movie Spearfishing” (Underwater fishing) award has left me with a sense of bitter disappointment. In an era where oceans are collapsing under plastic pollution and the systematic depletion of species, I find it unacceptable to reward “emotions” linked to fishing. What artistic merit can there be in documenting the end of creatures that look at us with trust? In 2026, this approach seems merely primitive and anachronistic.
Boycotting this competition is a choice of conscience; a way to honor that silent cry I read every time I go beneath the surface. The sea doesn’t need new hunters to celebrate, but guardians who have the courage to say “no” when the logic of consumption tramples on the logic of respect.
My love for the blue does not allow me to be a part of this.
