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Preserving paradise

The Blue Print Archive

Marco Costantini, Conservation and The Battle Against Marine Litter in Liguria

With the Summer solstice less than a week away, people across the globe are gearing up for some much-needed time off. Some will opt for more exotic escapades on a remote island in the middle of the Ocean, others will pack their best garments and take off toward traditional destinations such as the beautiful Mediterranean coast.

Many will be flying to Italy hoping to live out their own Dolce Vita dreams while reveling in beauty, natural wonders, and deliciousness.

While the idyllic beaches contouring the peninsula offer breathtaking panoramas and plenty of opportunities to lay back and disconnect, a darker scenario unfolds just a few steps away in the depths of the sea. Piles of discarded litter—mostly single-use plastic—are clogging up the seabed and shaking the local marine ecosystem, causing unprecedented changes to both the quality of the water and the habits of autochthonous fishes.

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In Liguria, one of Italy’s most revered regions, known for its crystalline waters and tasty treats, seasoned fishermen ascertained these worrying shifts firsthand.

If when they first started working on a trawler decades ago they would only find a few discarded objects, now they retrieve tons of garbage every week.

As a consequence, they are worried about the future of their job as well as the health of such a vital resource that has provided them with joy and adventures for so many years of their lives.

This is where seamen like Marco Costantini, one of the captains of our team of international fishermen, come into play. With this precious contribution to cleaning up the Mediterranean Sea, he’s already witnessed massive improvements in the area where he’s most active.

“Thanks to the implementation of Ogyre’s clean-up program, we’ve been able to bring back the trapped litter and dispose of it properly instead of sadly throwing it back into the sea,” he tells us.

And yes, you read it right. Prior to the intervention of Ogyre and more recently the implementation of a blanket administrative order that allows fishing boats to bring the found garbage back to the port, fishermen were barred from recycling the toxic items they found entangled in their nets. The only option they had was to throw them back into the sea, perpetuating a vicious cycle of destruction that was detrimental not only to the water creatures inhabiting the sea but to themselves as well.

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For this reason, his work—in addition to the establishment of marine protected areas such as the Cinque Terre National Park or the Portofino Marine Protected Area—is crucial to the conservation of marine biodiversity and ecosystem health in the region.

Unfortunately, Marco and his colleagues cannot be the only ones bearing the weight of our collective bad behavior. It is important we all learn to respect our environment, especially in the summer as our desire to be outdoors is heightened by the warm weather. We must support their effort by adopting conscious behaviors and learning how to reduce our impact on nature.

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No matter if you are planning your summer holiday somewhere tropical, local, or simply staying home to suntan in the comfort of your own backyard, please make sure to pack your lunch in reusable wrappers and bring your own refillable bottle. If you are going to need sunscreen, choose a reef-safe brand, and please put your trash in the right bin.