Sails set to protected marine sites richest in biodiversity
The project by Federparchi-Europarc Italia, Triton Research, Lipu and Fundación Biodiversidad traversed the most pristine places in the Tyrrhenian Sea for two months thanks to the support of the Italian Naval League.
LIFE A-MAR NATURA2000’s successful sailing campaign concluded on June 28 from 11 a.m. at the headquarters of the Italian Naval League – Lido di Ostia Section by presenting to institutional actors and the press the results of 6 weeks of sailing to discover some of the richest “natural” jewels of our Mediterranean Sea.
Among the approximately 288 Italian Natura 2000 marine sites of the “ecological network” established 30 ago by the European Union, which virtually connects all the most important sites for the conservation of habitats and species, the sailing campaign aimed to touch at least 30 of them.
The sailing campaign, organized and coordinated by Triton Research with the operational support of Lega Navale Italiana, was chronicled with a logbook shared on the project’s main social platforms, which led thousands of enthusiasts to explore, along with boat crews, more than 50 marine sites on the coasts of Liguria, Sicily, Sardinia, Tuscany, Lazio and Campania.
In parallel, Federparchi-Europarc Italia, the project leader, and LIPU involved hundreds of stakeholders in a land-based awareness campaign that saw the organization of 17 participatory events and 14 guided tours to promote among all “sea users,” a conscious and responsible enjoyment of marine natural resources.
The entire sailing campaign was organized in collaboration with the Cinque Terre, Tuscan Archipelago and Asinara National Parks, co-funders of the project, and the Marine Protected Areas touched along the route.
Keynote speeches included Stefano Picchi, scientific director of Triton Research; Michele Valente, communications manager of Lega Navale Italiana; Giampiero Sammuri, president Tuscan Archipelago National Park; Alessandro Polinori, vice president Lipu/BirdLife Italia; and finally Luca Santini, president Federparchi-Europarc Italia.
The press conference brought out important themes, such as the importance of knowledge of our country’s marine sites, the need to raise awareness among young people in continuing to protect and safeguard our sea, as well as the importance of the results obtained from collaboration among various agencies and associations.
Triton Research, starting from the realization that the marine protected areas of the Natura 2000 Network were little known, created, launched and coordinated together with the other partners, an ambitious project as LIFE A-MAR, achieving important goals in the first year of operation alone.
In spring 2024, the sailing campaign will be replicated in Spain for another month, under the leadership of Fundación Biodiversidad, a public foundation of the country’s Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, which has been carrying out a number of conservation and management projects for Natura 2000 sites for years. Also planned are two sailing regattas, the production of a documentary on Natura 2000 marine sites, numerous background materials and public events.