The Golden Mile coastline works together and focuses on the Blue Economy: the first sea sweeper “launched” in Portici
Porticoes. A successful bet for the Golden Mile coastline which in a single morning manages to systematise some of the founding pillars of the Blue Economy: those of the recovery and protection of the sea and the coast.
The “Miglio d’Oro” boat has been launched, a real floating laboratory created by the Ancona-based Garbage Group equipped with full electric propulsion which will carry out its mission of cleaning, depolluting and monitoring the coastal waters with a 360° sustainability perspective degrees producing zero emissions.
The vessel was financed as part of the Local Development Strategy of the Litorale Miglio d’Oro FLAG measure 4.63 PO EMFF Campania 2014/2020 for the restoration of biodiversity in aquatic environments.
A dialogue strongly desired by local bodies and institutions for the benefit of a coastal destination which today, with its renovated seafront, will offer visitors over 11,000 square meters of beaches accessible free of charge, equipped with modern services and sports facilities. The day was introduced by a workshop entitled “Recovery and conservation of sea-coast heritage: the Pelikan system and the coastal operation”.
Melania Capasso vice-president of the Portici municipal council; Luigi Mennella, mayor of Torre del Greco; Carmela Saulino, councilor with responsibility for relations with the Herculaneum Flag who shared the concept that the valorisation of the territory and the entire tourist sector involves the protection of the marine heritage.
A concrete and synergistic action by the three cities that improves the quality of life of residents and tourists. This was then followed by thanks from the president of the Litorale Miglio d’Oro Flag Maurizio Minichino to all those involved in the project, from the Campania Region to the Municipalities who worked in synergy to make the operation of this new vessel possible. It was then Luca Tortora, director of the Flag Litorale Miglio d’Oro, who announced the start of the sea cleaning operations: they will start on July 1st and the operation will be spread over the body of water of the three municipalities with departures from the Portici port and Torre del Greco.
Paolo Baldoni, CEO of Garbage Group, creator of the Pelikan system, has the burden and honor of narrating the functions of the boat both from a technical point of view and from that of its educational and deterrent function against bad behavior in the environmental field. This first phase of the morning ended with Francesco Terlizzi, technologist of the research infrastructure department for marine biological resources, marine research infrastructure, who highlighted the history and mission of the Anton Dohrn zoological station.
From theory we then moved on to practice with the launch of the “Golden Mile”, a celebratory moment of high symbolic value. From July 1st the vessel will patrol the coast operationally and, equipped with drones for the surveillance and detection of floating waste in the sea, submarine ROVs to scan the seabed and geo-reference the waste and anti-pollution kits for foams, hydrocarbons, fatty and oily substances on the surface and semi-submerged make the vessel a unique tool that will allow you to collect all kinds of waste at sea, especially plastic. In addition to playing a fundamental role in cleaning, monitoring and responding to emergencies, the Pelikan System “Golden Mile” will play a deterrent, educational and awareness-raising role, collaborating with local communities, organizing training events on pollution prevention marine.
