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The collaboration with the community is essential, and we need your help," explains Davide Severino, Frigate Captain of the Coast Guard of Cagliari. "In addition to dealing with a very extensive coastline - approximately 900 km from Arbatax to Bosa - we primarily intervene in addressing the 'illicit' aspect, which stems from environmental unawareness that needs to be addressed from the grassroots level. Activities like this, aimed at raising awareness among the public, are crucial in combating it. Let's all strive to set a good example, especially in educating children, so that they don't become irresponsible adults." 

"Removing abandoned nets from the sea is an action that has a significant impact on marine and wildlife protection. These nets, in fact, keep hunting in the sea, indiscriminately killing a wide range of marine creatures, including fish, turtles, marine mammals, and seabirds - many of which are protected species," explains Francesca Frau, Head of Sea Operations for MEDSEA. "During Puliamo la Sella!, some of these recovered nets contained trapped crabs that were released back into the sea." 

Puliamo la Sella! becomes the #PuliamoLaSella contest with CTM to clean up the beaches this summer 

A team effort in the fifth edition of "Puliamo la Sella!" with over 13 sports and student associations coordinating teams of volunteers - around 200 in total - including citizens, students, athletes, tourists, and families, all working towards the common goal of promoting cleanliness practices in daily life. To support this mission, a campaign has recently been launched on the local public transport buses in Cagliari and the metropolitan area by CTM, encouraging passengers - and the general public - to share their collections of plastic and other waste abandoned on the beaches this summer. It's a kind gesture for the sea that can be shared online using the hashtag #PuliamoLaSella to inspire friends to do the same. 

The campaign, in collaboration with CTM, bears the signature of the young designer Enrico Asili, son of the late advertising professional Stefano Asili, who designed the original logos: the Torre dell'Elefante for CTM and the logo for the MEDSEA Foundation. 

"Puliamo la Sella!" is a recurring event in the city aimed at promoting respect for marine and coastal habitats," explains Alessio Satta, President of the MEDSEA Foundation. "Most of the plastic that ends up in the sea unintentionally comes from beaches, bars, and kiosks. Since 2018, we have been collecting over 15 tons of waste thanks to all the partners and volunteers who consistently set a good example by organizing clean-ups throughout the year." 

This morning's event was attended by Carola Farci, known in the city as the "eco prof," who collected over 3 tons of waste and plastic from beaches across Europe last year. A recycling and design-themed workshop for children was led by the eco artist Davide Volponi from Quartu Sant'Elena, together with the expert of environmental marine education Maria Pala. The final collection of 1 ton of garbage, including nets, plastics, and mixed materials, was carried out by the De Vizia group. 

The clean-up event is endorsed by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (RAS), the Municipality of Cagliari, and the Order of Biologists of Sardinia, in collaboration with the regional network for the conservation of marine fauna. The event is supported not only by CTM but also by the Aurora Beach Bar & Grill at Poetto, Federlab Sardegna which brings together about twenty medical facilities on the island, including the Ponti laboratory in Cagliari. Additionally, the event is also supported by Egos Colloquium, the 39th edition of the Cagliari international management symposium organized by the University of Cagliari, which will take place in the city from July 6th to 9th, aiming to rethink the "good life" in terms of heritage and imagination, with sustainability and inclusivity as core values. 

We also thank all our partners for the support in the field:  Reset UniCa, Upside Down Sardinia, Tutt'in SUP - Sardinia SUP Tours, ISULA Fishing Club Sardegna,  E-Boats Sardinia, S'Avanzada Climbing Cagliari, Sea World Cagliari, Apnea Academy - Centro sportivo Tribune, Windsurfing Club Cagliari, AIR SUB, Scuola Apnea Sardegna, Avanzi on the rocks, Farmacia Politica, Apnea Club Cagliari, Nieddittas.