“Adopt the beach” – national initiative to clean the beaches in Italy

3. 6. 2021

GoJelly project friends from Marevivo, a NGO with more than 35 years of experience in protecting the sea and its resource, decided to mark the World Biodiversity Day. Marevivo organized an initiative to clean two beaches in the Apulia region – Jalillo and Acquatina. GoJelly partner CNR, ISPA –Lecce joined the initiative.

“Adopt a beach” is the new Marevivo national campaign for the protection of dozens of beaches throughout Italy. Since the beginning of the initiative, Marevivo has cleaned 9 beaches, from Tuscany to Sardinia, collecting over 2 tons of waste.

Jalillo Bay, Peschici

22 May 2021

Participants collected about 350 kg of waste, in particular about 5,000 plastic nets (also called “socks”) for the cultivation of mussels, fishing nets and large quantities of polystyrene which is becoming one of the main threats to the marine environment.

Moreover, in addition to cleaning activities, organizers of the initiative placed informative billboards in order to raise awareness among the general public on how they can contribute to enhance and protect this precious natural environment.

Acquatina beach, Lecce

23 May 2021

Cleaning of Acquatina beach in Lecce was a part of GoJelly dissemination and communication activities carried out by GoJelly partner CNR-ISPA of Lecce.

Participants of the initiative cleaned over 2 km of the free beach in the Acquatina Basin area and have collected over 200 kg of garbage. Majority of collected wastes were plastic products, especially polystyrene and cotton-bud sticks, as well volunteers found a waste of bulky items such as a tires.

In the upcoming weeks two informative billboards will be placed in the Acquatina beach.  These informative billboards will present the information on the behaviour on the beach, which will help to keep beaches clean and to save our oceans.

 

More information about national campaign “Adopt the beach” can be found here (in Italian language).