Focus

Francesca joined ClientEarth in May 2022. As a Sustainable Seafood Lawyer, she focuses on market issues related to IUU Fishing, including labelling.

She is currently developing legal strategies to hold seafood companies accountable for their impacts on both the environment, including biodiversity, and human rights.

Experience

Before joining ClientEarth, Francesca did several legal internships in Law of the Sea and Fisheries related issues. At the Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea (DOALOS/OLA), she contributed to the development of the Blue Economy portfolio, while, at the same time, she supported several capacity-building activities of the Division. At the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), she worked in the Legal Affairs Unit, providing legal support to operational units.

Education

Francesca holds a master’s in law from the University of Trento, Italy, and an LLM in International Law and Human Rights from the University of Maastricht, the Netherlands.

During these years, she also studied for several months in South America.

I come from an island, Venice, that depends on the sea and its ability to provide ecosystem services. Having witnessed the effects of globalisation and climate change on my beloved city, I felt it was a personal obligation to join ClientEarth, an organisation that addresses the fragile balance between globalisation, humans, and the environment.

Francesca is working on