That of 11 April 2023 will be the sixth edition of the National Sea Day, established with Legislative Decree 229/2017. It is a way to reflect and raise awareness of the importance of respecting and knowing the sea, a precious asset for us and our planet, to be protected in all our daily behaviour.
The United Nations 2030 Agenda contains 17 sustainable development goals, each with direct and indirect effects on the protection of our sea.
According to ISPRA, there are over 240 alien species identified in our sea. More than 70% of marine waste is deposited on the Italian seabed, of which 77% is plastic, and on the beaches the situation is no better.
In Italy there are 27 marine protected areas, in addition to 2 submerged parks which protect a total of about 228,000 hectares of sea and 700,000 km of coast. In these areas human activities, such as fishing and tourism, should be partially or totally limited, so as to allow the reproduction of fish and therefore the conservation of biodiversity of the largest ecosystem on the planet. Currently only 0.1% are fully protected areas.
What threatens the marine ecosystem?*
- Climate change and natural disasters: Climate change is altering marine ecosystems even more rapidly than terrestrial ones. Our Mediterranean Sea is also warming 20% faster than the rest of the planet.
- Pollution: due to coastal inputs (discharges of sewage or industrial waste), atmospheric deposition (all pollutants released into the air and carried to the sea by rain) and pollution caused by ships, oil and mineral extraction Plastic is the main pollutant of seas and oceans.
- Eutrophication: caused by the release of nutrients into the water deriving from fertilizers used in agriculture and livestock.
- Fishing: in many areas of the world the quantity of specimens caught exceeds that of organisms able to reproduce.
- Invasive species: finding themselves in a new habitat where they often have no natural predators, they cause imbalances in biodiversity.
Speaking of love and respect for this important resource, to keep in mind also other days:
- National Maritime Day is celebrated on 11 April
- World Maritime Day is celebrated on 29 September, promoted by the United Nations in order to promote knowledge of the naval sector
- June 8 is World Oceans Day
- 8 July is the turn of the International Day of the Mediterranean Sea, an opportunity to raise awareness of the state of health of the Mare Nostrum and the dangers that threaten it.
Curiosity: Tuesday 11 April 2023, on the occasion of National Sea Day, the main facade of Palazzo Chigi in Piazza Colonna will be illuminated in blue from 20.00 to 24.00.
