Marine Protected Areas in Sardinia
with Blue Marine Foundation

Critical Issues

70% of the surface of our planet is covered by seas and oceans, and only 30% by land. We owe this blue planet the production of more than 50% of the oxygen we breathe and the absorption of approximately 30% of the CO2 emissions generated every year by human activity and terrestrial pollution.

Italian waters are among the richest in biodiversity in the Mediterranean (representing 1%): they host over 17,000 species and reach biodiversity values up to 10 times higher than the world average. If well managed and well connected, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) can strongly contribute to preserving these species, the natural environments that host them, and restoring protected habitats, thus mitigating the effects of climate change.

However, the Mediterranean Sea is the most overexploited sea in the world, both in terms of overfishing (75% of fish populations are now overfished, and many are already at risk), and due to high maritime transport and poor management. of human activities (agricultural, industrial, disposal and tourism) that take place along the coastal strip, and which modify the coastline. The phenomenon of ongoing climate change should not be underestimated, which has recently brought the increase in water temperatures to an all-time high of 31 degrees, and the rampant problem of microplastics and abandoned fishing gear, which in addition to killing wildlife and to degrade habitats, with the movements of the sea they are chopped up until they become an invisible mush (microplastics), reaching concentrations of up to 10Kg/Km2 in some areas. And since plastic is only shredded in 100 years, but never degraded, it is absorbed by fish as food, arriving on our tables.

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Area of Intervention

 

Faced with this environmental degradation, the protection of Marine Protected Areas is fundamental. In order for a protected area to perform its function best and demonstrate the so-called 'reserve effects' (high values of biodiversity, biomass and abundance of species), it must be well managed against degradation and must not be too small in size. , and must be able to be connected to other neighbouring protected areas, in order to guarantee migratory species to find shelter during their entire life cycle.

 

The intervention area therefore involved a network of three Marine Protected Areas in Sardinia (Capo Caccia, Isola Asinara and Capo Carbonara-Villasimius), where we find heterogeneous habitats of valuable naturalistic interest and a rich faunal heritage.

 

The final objective is to improve its protection effectiveness, looking at the 2030 Agenda as the primary driver for the protection of Italy's marine heritage.

Intervention

 

Starting from January 2022, in partnership with our partner Blue Marine Foundation, a triple two-year project was launched which involves three Marine Protected Areas in Sardinia: Capo Carbonara (Villasimìus), Capo Caccia (Isola Piana) and Isola Asinara. The aim of the initiative is to expand and improve the management effectiveness of individual protected areas by promoting the conservation of crucial habitats and vulnerable species, according to current European guidelines (Habitat Directive 92/43 EEC) and the objectives of the 2030 Agenda.

Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area

In the Marine Protected Area of Capo Carbonara, the project has continued the removal and disposal of ghost nets and waste in Zone A and work will begin to achieve the expansion of the protected area from approximately 14,360 to 20,000 hectares. Fishing gear is lost or abandoned by fishermen and, together with plastic waste, constitutes a significant source of pollution for crucial marine ecosystems, threatening protected marine species in worrying decline, such as coral habitat and Posidonia oceanica meadows (a marine plant important for the production of oxygen and capable of offering shelter to species to grow and reproduce). The seabed cleaning phase was finally completed in 2023. The project also aims to raise awareness among the local community and tourism on the issue of the impact of ghost nets. Scientific coordination and planning are carried out by the Director of Capo Carbonara. 

 

Marine Protected Area of Capo Caccia

In the Marine Protected Area of Capo Caccia, in front of the largest sea cave complex in Italy (over 100, including the largest sea cave in Europe called Grotta di Nereo), there are precious habitats (considered crucial, such as corals) and a varied marine fauna including protected species at risk of extinction (e.g. diadem hedgehog, giant newt, sea date, porcelain cowrie, etc.). In the southern portion of the promontory, a system of 4 intelligent mooring buoys will be installed in spring-summer 2023, to guarantee greater regulation of recreational diving activity (and against free anchoring which causes degradation), while also safeguarding the habitat Coralligenous adjacent to the entrance of these caves. Scientific coordination and planning are carried out by the Director of Capo Caccia and the Porto Conte Natural Park.

Asinara National Park with its Marine Protected Area

In the Asinara National Park with its Marine Protected Area there are marine mammals and chelonians included in the IUCN Red List (e.g. bottlenose dolphins, fin whales, Caretta caretta turtles). A review of the fisheries management plan will be implemented and the preliminary investigation process will begin to propose the updating of the main management, regulation and supplementary disciplinary tools, also evaluating the possibility of shared management of the entire ZSC area (Zone of Conservation Special). Furthermore, the process for expanding the boundaries of the MPA from approximately 10,800 to 16,800 hectares has already begun. This will allow the recovery of the habitat for the many native species and the maintenance of the important biodiversity. Scientific coordination and planning are carried out by the Director of the Asinara MPA and the National Park.

Discover More
www.bluemarinefoundation.com/2022/03/29/blue-marine-launches-ambitious-campaign-to-connect-marine-protected-areas-in-italy/
www.bluemarinefoundation.com/projects/italy/

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Our Partner

 

Blue Marine Foundation is an English foundation dedicated to promoting Marine Protected Areas, tackling overfishing by developing responsible small-scale fishing models and restoring marine habitats, thus bringing the oceans back to health, whose degradation is among the world's major environmental problems. By fighting the distorting phenomena of the blue planet, we help life in the ocean to carry out its fundamental function of stabilising the earth's climate and connecting people and new generations to the sea, promoting knowledge and respect for it.

 

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Project data

 

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DURATION

 2 years (01/01/2022 – 31/12/2023)
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OUR INVESTMENT

€144,000.00 (of which €72,000 - 50% from the Foundation Capellino)