Legambiente launches an alert on the critical state of the Italian marine ecosystem and its historic Golette (ships) sail for the protection of this common heritage.
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Our marine ecosystem is constantly threatened by illegal building, inadequate depuration, slurry spills and biodiversity attacks. Legambiente, which has been monitoring these phenomena for years, recently presented the twenty-third edition of the Report Mare Monstrum, a complete picture of violations of the laws that protect our seas and coastlines.
The report, realized by “Osservatorio nazionale Ambiente e Legalità”, is the result of processing data provided by law enforcement agencies and port authorities.
The report Mare Monstrum aims to highlight the illegalities linked to marine pollution and the management of waste discharges. Violations that have an increasingly serious impact, seen in the context of the climate crisis.
The data show that in 2022, 13,229 offences were contested, corresponding to 1.8 violations per kilometre of coastline. Administrative offences increased by 24.2% compared to 2021, to 8,499, while penalties imposed amounted to 8,935, an increase of 47.7%. On the other hand, offences decreased by 32.9%, as did the number of people reported or arrested and seizures, with an economic value of more than EUR 385 million.
Only through increased controls and strengthened regulations is it possible to counter the onslaught of ecocriminals who damage a common patrimony every year. It is important not only to identify those who deface and pollute, but also to value those who are committed to the protection and enhancement of marine resources. For this reason, the two historical of Legambiente, Goletta Verde and Goletta dei Laghi, have set sail with the motto “we will never stop”. Le Golette address issues such as pollution, purification, renewable energy and beach litter. The focus is to raise public awareness and preserve the health of Italian water ecosystems.
In particular, Goletta dei Laghi monitors the health of Italy's lake basins, reporting critical issues and promoting good sustainable management practices. The issues at the centre of his actions are untreated and polluting sewage, neglect and pollution by microplastics, cementing and water catchment.
Goletta Verde, in its 37th edition, focused the attention on purification, the climate crisis, the fight against illegalities and the preservation of biodive. The analyst condocted by Goletta Verde aims to identify critical issues related to the inadequate purification of sewage, especially in specific locations such as river mouths, canals and waterways that are the main sources of marine pollution. The results are not intended to replace official bathing data, but to complement the work of the competent authorities. The first data collected by Goletta Verde in Liguria and Tuscany are critical.
In Liguria, 6 out of 17 samples exceed legal limits being heavily polluted. In Tuscany, 80% of the samples analysed exceed the legal limits, with 16 out of 20 samples heavily polluted, exceeding regulatory limits by more than double.
The situation observed shows a worsening compared to previous years, revealing the inadequacy of purification plants inland and along the coasts (most of the points sampled are at river or canal mouths). The quality and quantity of purification plants must be improved and specific monitoring must be implemented to detect illegal discharge.
The initiatives carried out by Legambiente as well as the data provided draw attention to an urgent issue that must be tackled with determination: the preservation and restoration of the health of marine ecosystems. To this end, collaboration between citizens, communities and institutions is fundamental.
Lorenzo Nigro
For further informations:
Legambiente presenta la 23esima edizione di Mare Monstrum (Legambiente)
Inquinamento, abusivismo, rifiuti: il mare sempre più sotto assedio (La Repubblica)
Tutti al mare? Così l’illegalità aggredisce le mete più gettonate dell’estate (Economia Circolare)