July 8 is the International Day of the Mediterranean Sea, an appointment to celebrate the many wonders of this sea and to turn the spotlight on the state of health of the Mare Nostrum and the actions we can undertake to protect it.
Environmental sustainability is a topic very dear to IBSA. Indeed, among the various goals of the project Sailing into the Future. Together is also that of promoting a sustainable lifestyle through sailing, that is, the green sport par excellence, since through sailing it is possible to enjoy the sea without damaging the environment.
Spending a lot of time at sea and on the ocean, many skippers are already witnessing the extent to which the marine environment has been damaged and how much action is needed to change course. During navigation, in fact, sailors can check first-hand the state of health of the sea, starting from the small – but equally harmful – wastes that they encounter afloat, the anomalies concerning the marine fauna, the impact of the climate change on gulfs and coasts, up to the actual floating islands of garbage, extremely dangerous not only for the marine ecosystem, but also for man.
Besides pollution, there are changes that affect also the weather, and in both cases the performance of sailors can suffer from their effects. Alberto Bona himself has repeatedly reported his experience, describing situations where pollution and weather affected his regattas. For the new atmospheric phenomena occurring due to climate change, an in-depth analysis is required by skippers before getting on board. “These changes are affecting us sailors almost everywhere. In recent years, very violent phenomena – actual small hurricanes – have also been taking place in the Mediterranean. Once, during the Middle Sea Race around Sicily”, explained Alberto, “I ran into one of these hurricanes in the south of the island, which incidentally did a lot of damage as well”.
Respecting and protecting the Mediterranean Sea and the marine environment in general must become a priority, and the International Day of the Mediterranean Sea underlines this urgency. As many small drops, one after the other, dig into the rock, so many small actions can help save the sea and the oceans, preserving their immense value for future generations.
