In the waning days of the Republic, thousands of fishermen populated the shores, yet only a hundred and fifty-eight were deemed eligible for the “Buy and Sell Fish” program. This trade was reserved exclusively for the fishermen of San Nicolò and Poveglia who had diligently fished for a minimum of 20 years and had reached the age of fifty. The intention was to reward these deserving men who had toiled in the fishing industry and, unlike the youth, could no longer endure the hardships of the trade.
