Great participation for the Blue Week in Molfetta: the report

During the blue week, from 4 to 11 April, the staff of the Port Authority of Molfetta carried out a series of activities, in collaboration with the Amerigo Vespucci Nautical Institute, aimed at raising young people’s awareness of maritime issues and importance of safeguarding marine ecosystems, in order to promote responsible behavior towards the sea and its resources. The activities involved the participation of various nursery, primary, middle and high schools in training workshops, guided tours, experiential activities and conferences.

On the morning of April 4th, thanks to the support of Mr. Salvemini of the local WWF sea turtle recovery centre, the release of two sea turtles in the first haul took place – in the presence of the primary schools of Molfetta and neighboring municipalities, while on the night of 5 April the pupils of the primary school of Molfetta witnessed the unloading of the catch from the local fishing boats with a subsequent visit to the fish market to understand how, before reaching retail sale, the food product is controlled and made traceable, to protect the health of the consumer.

The following morning, a guided tour was carried out by some high school classes on board two fishing boats. At the same time, organized by the FIN and the aquatic rescue dog unit, a sea rescue simulation took place in Cala S. Andrea with divers and rescue dogs. Subsequently, the classes were able to visit the operations room of the Port Authority of Molfetta and the naval vessels used for sea rescue and surveillance activities. At the end, for a number of students, it was possible to visit the lighthouse in the port of Molfetta. During the entire week, visits were made to the navigation simulator of the Vespucci Nautical Institute and knot demonstrations were carried out by the ANMI of Molfetta. All this thanks to the collaboration of the Vespucci Nautical Institute, which testifies to the joint commitment in promoting nautical education and the training of those who live and work on the sea.

This week represents, for students, a unique opportunity to acquire practical skills in a maritime environment and, for the institute, the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to offering quality education, aimed at excellence in maritime education to prepare future industry leaders. The ceremony saw the participation of numerous authorities, including the Commander of the Port Authority of Molfetta, Frigate Captain (CP) Giulia PETRUZZI, the Headmaster of the IISS Amerigo Vespucci, Prof. Carmelo D’AUCELLI and representatives of the Local Authorities .