Marina di Loano has been awarded its ninth Blue Flag, the prestigious form of certification that the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education, founded in 1981) assigns to marinas that respond to strict criteria regarding respect for and management of all environment-related themes. Today's award ceremony tool place virtually due to the COVID-19 health emergency.
The Blue Flag is awarded to marinas by FEE on the basis of a range of criteria: the water in the port and the surrounding area must show no visible signs of pollution; drains must not flow into the port area; the structure must provide for systems to collect oil, paint and chemical residue as well for life-saving and emergency equipment; management must provide information regarding the Blue Flag campaign and environmental issues in general; boats must be provided with the possibility of disposing of bilge and waste water; provision must be made for the proper disposal of waste resulting from shipyard operations; the docks must provide drinking water and electricity.
“It is an honour for Marina di Loano to be able to contribute to Liguria's leading position in this special ranking - stated the CEO of Marina di Loano, Gianluca Mazza - and it is a clear manifestation of the attention to the environment and the sea that has always characterised our marina. The renovations that we are carrying out are aimed at once again enhancing the international characteristics and dimension of our community and Marina di Loano in particular. Environmental sustainability is the cornerstone of our strategy".
“This ninth Blue Flag for Marina di Loano - added the director of Marina di Loano, Uberto Paoletti - is the result not only of the efforts of the Marina's management and staff, but also of the sensitivity that our boaters and guests have always demonstrated in terms of protecting the marine environment. Our lives and livelihoods depend on the sea, and it is therefore essential that we make a personal commitment to protecting it and to teaching future generations of its importance".
The ninth Blue Flag is in addition to the other important forms of recognition gained over recent years by Marina di Loano, reflecting the excellent quality of the infrastructure and its services; ISO 14.001 and OHSAS 18.001 certification (with TUV Rheinland), MaRINA Excellence 24 Plus certification, and the “5 Wheels" and “50 Gold" from RINA. The international accreditation body has officially certified the safety and the quality of the tourist and accommodation services offered by Marina di Loano. Furthermore, with regards to the individual aspects of the MaRINA Excellence 24 Plus assessment, Marina di Loano is the first in Italy to obtain RINA “Green" certification for environmental sustainability.