Italy’s glassmakers shattered by recession

For centuries, glassmakers on the Italian island of Murano near Venice have been renowned for their fine skills.

The recent global recession, however, has hit their trade hard.

According to a local businessman, almost half of the glasswork on sale on the island is now a fake, but they are trying hard to protect this fragile business.

Al Jazeera’s Claudio Lavanga reports from Murano.