For the seventh time, Marina di Loano was awarded the Blue Flag, the prestigious recognition that the FEE assigns to tourist ports that meet strict criteria in terms of respect and management of all environmental issues.
The 2019 Blue Flag award ceremony organised by the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education, founded in 1981) took place today in Rome, at the Sala Convegni of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche.
The Blue Flag for marinas is awarded by FEE on the basis of several criteria: the waters of the port and those facing the port must not be visually polluted; sewage must not spill into the port; the facility must be equipped with equipment for the collection of oil, paint and chemical residues, as well as life jackets and first-aid equipment; the management must provide environmental and Blue Flag campaign information; the possibility of disposing of bilge water and boat toilets is foreseen; arrangements are made for the disposal of shipyard processing residues; the quaysides provide lighting and drinking water.
Loano's marina resort complies with all of these requirements, which is why the FEE decided to award it the Blue Flag for marinas again this year. A result that rewards the concrete commitment of Marina di Loano's management for all the activities put in place to ensure respect and protection of the environment with targeted choices and the ability to integrate the entire chain of management of the structure with the principles of the circular economy.
The attribution of the Blue Flag follows other prestigious awards obtained in 2018 by Marina di Loano as proof of the excellence of its infrastructure and services: the MaRINA Excellence 24 Plus certification, the "5 Timoni" and "50 Gold" from RINA. The International Certification Body has officially certified the safety and quality of the tourist and accommodation services provided by the Loano facility. In addition, as part of the individual aspects of the MaRINA Excellence 24 Plus assessment, Marina di Loano was the first in Italy to achieve RINA's Green certification for environmental sustainability.
"This long series of awards," said Uberto Paoletti, Director of Marina di Loano, with pride, "confirms the eco-sustainability of our facilities and services on the one hand, and the constant commitment of Marina di Loano staff and sailors towards the primary issue of environmental protection on the other. With this in mind, we are working to become a completely plastic-free port as soon as possible by avoiding the use of plastic materials as much as possible."
"This commitment," added Paoletti, "also translates outside our port reality: for instance, by organising (in synergy with the Loano Harbour Office-Coast Guard) environmental awareness campaigns in the wake of the 'Giornata nazionale del Mare e della cultura marinaresca' [National Day of the Sea and Maritime Culture], an event established by the new Nautical Code and promoted by Ucina Confindustria Nautica and the Italian Sailing Federation, which aims to promote the values of maritime culture and respect for the marine ecosystem among local school students".