Painted Story Boards

The wooden boards were inside boxes containing tropical fish imported to be sold to pet stores or national aquariums. On some boards there are numbers and names of fish written in pen by the fishermen who caught them. Every day fish are caught through cyanide, caustic soda or nets, causing serious damage to the coral reef and the animals. The stunned fish float to the surface and are captured. Some suffering slow poisoning, and specimens not of commercial interest are left to die. They are forced to survive in plastic bags with the minimum of oxygen and water, in order to make the box weight less and therefore lower the shipping costs, for transoceanic transportation. These trips can last by law up to a maximum of 72 hours.

The story board project wants to give a second life to these pieces of wood, used to separate the bags containing the fish inside the boxes, making each of us reflect on what is behind the terrible trade in animals taken from their natural habitat to be locked inside small glass cages for the sole purpose of entertaining human beings. The project already has fascinated several artists who wanted to support the cause by providing their artistic skills in defense of the Oceans.

“I got the idea of having the wooden boards painted by different artists, to sell them for charity, for the oceans. This idea has allowed me to tell a reality that many of us are not aware of: what’s behind the trade in aquatic animals that they might even keep in their home aquarium.”(Michelle Misste)