Fishing in the Island of Capraia from the 16th century to nowadays

Abstract

In the 16th century fishing in the Island of Capraia was limited to the sustenance of the few inhabitants who were living barricaded inside the fortified village scared by the presence of the Barbarian corsairs around the island. In the 17th century fishing became the main economic activity and brought to the island a sustainable economy with a growth of the population. In the 18th century the fishermen of Capraia used their boats for the transportation of goods and commerce. Starting with the French revolution the economy of the island started to decline very rapidly and the inhabitants were forced to migrate. Since then fishing was limited to sustain the need of the inhabitants.