The second edition of the "Giornata nazionale del Mare e della cultura marinaresca" will be celebrated on Thursday 11 April at Marina di Loano. This event, established by the new Boating Code and strongly supported by Ucina Confindustria Nautica and the Italian Sailing Federation, aims to develop the culture of the sea as a resource of cultural, scientific, recreational and economic value.
The "Day of the Sea" foresees the involvement of all schools of all levels, according to Article 52 of the new law. That is why, on Wednesday, 50 middle school pupils and 60 students from the fourth year of the Falcone institute in Loano took part in a series of initiatives organised by Marina di Loano and Yacht Club Marina di Loano together with the Loano Harbour Office-Coast Guard, the Cima Foundation, Circolo Nautico Loano, Cantieri Amico, the amateur fishermen's association "Pianeta Blu", Diving Center and Museo del Mare.
Uberto Paoletti, director of Marina di Loano, explained: "Once again this year we have enthusiastically joined this important institutional event, which aims to promote, particularly among the younger generations, the values of seafaring culture and, above all, respect for the marine environment. In addition to Marina di Loano, the many organisations operating in our port area contributed to the organisation of this day: from the Loano Harbour Office-Coast Guard to the Cima Foundation, the Circolo Nautico, the Cantieri Amico, the amateur fishermen of 'Pianeta Blu', the Diving Center and, of course, the Museo del Mare. These synergies and this communion of intentions make us particularly proud: the protection of our seas, in fact, is a commitment that must involve all of us and must have as its main actors the youngest, who one day will have to deal personally with these issues".
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This environmental education meeting, aimed at raising the awareness of future generations, is an excellent opportunity to educate students on the correct behaviour to adopt in order to protect the sea," explains Lieutenant Camilla Ripetti Pacchini, Commander of the Ufficio Circondariale Marittimo di Loano-Albenga (Loano-Albenga Maritime District Office) – The Italian Coast Guard has recently signed a programme agreement with the Ministry for the Environment and the Protection of Land and Sea, for the "communication and environmental education campaign to combat the dispersion of microplastics in the marine and coastal environment" called #plasticfreeGC. What better occasion than the 'Day of the Sea' to bring our message, deepen the principles of respect for environmental protection and recall the concept of a sustainable approach to the sea and its resources."
At 9:30 a.m., middle school students will be welcomed by experts from the Cima Foundation, the non-profit organisation based on the university campus in Savona that supports and promotes training, research and development in the field of biodiversity, civil protection and the reduction of risks related to natural disasters. After due reflection before the "Plastic Whale" and the "Albatross Cemetery", symbols of the campaign against ocean pollution entitled "A Sea of Plastic", the students will discover the secrets of the marine environment and the many forms of pollution that threaten its survival. Afterwards, the pupils will have the opportunity to learn how to work onboard Headwind, the catamaran that the Cima Foundation uses for research and monitoring of the marine environment and that has its "home" in Marina di Loano, together with the boats of the Circolo Nautico Loano and the Port Authority.
Students from Loano's Falcone institute, on the other hand, will meet in the Sala Azzurra of the Marina Center conference centre for a conference involving contributions from the Cima Foundation, the Harbour Master's Office, Circolo Nautico, Pianeta Blu, Diving Center and Cantieri Amico. The meeting will be opened by the director of Marina di Loano, Uberto Paoletti.
After the conference, the students of the Falcone institute will join the middle school students for a "tour" around Marina di Loano.