News

"The Mediterranean has always been one of the most fishy seas in the world, for this reason over the centuries it has constantly suffered excessive human exploitation. Today the situation in our sea is critical, there are many species and habitats at risk ", explains Francesca Frau from the rooms of the Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area. A life dedicated to the sea, its wonders and the dangers that threaten it, that of the marine biologist. The research conducted on the books, on board the boats or on the seabed, snorkeling. Tomorrow Francesca will be busy in giving back to the waters Beta, a turtle that risked to die because of the ingestion of plastic. A few days ago she was at the University of Milan-Bicocca for the conference "Oceansafe: the importance and fragility of the aquatic world".

Over 500 students, professors and associations listened to the captain and activist Paul Watson, soul of Sea Shepherd, Cyrill Gutsch, award-winning designer for sustainability and founder of Parley for the Oceans, (a network of people united by the goal of cleaning up the sea from plastic), Federica Guerrini, PhD student in environmental engineering at the Milan Polytechnic and Francesca Frau, among the founders of MEDSEA. Sofia Bonicalza, Italian athlete of excellence and an example for many young people for her environmental battles, introduced the works.

"It was a great informative moment. As Paul Watson explained, only being aware of the importance for a balance between man and ecosystem can save our seas", says Frau, who intervened at the conference with an analysis focused on the Mediterranean context. Trawling ruins the seabed and, not being selective, it also collects fish that is not fully developed, undermining the reproductive process. Bluefin tuna is perhaps the most striking example of overfishing, both due to the danger it faced and to the new-found stability of the species, favored by the restrictions imposed on fishing.

"We must move towards sustainable fishing regimes. But there are many elements that endanger the ecosystem balance” Frau continues. "Nautical traffic, for example, with its accidental spills and noise pollution, the collision of cargo and passenger ships with turtles and cetaceans. Or bilge and ballast waters, that transporting bacteria from one side of the Mediterranean to the other cause terrible epidemics, such as that of pinna nobilis, our nacchere di mare". And the plastic, of course. In April, the carcass of a sperm whale was found on the beach of Cala Romantica, Costa Smeralda, Sardinia. In the belly of the giant of the abyss 22 kilos of plastic, an envelope still carrying the bar code, and a never born fetus. A very different destiny, that of Beta.