Illegal construction, illicit management of quarries, state concessions: along the Italian coasts the grip of illegal cement. In 2023 they were 10,257 (+11.1% compared to 2022) the crimes ascertained by the police forces and the port authorities in the coastal regions with 11,647 people reported (+21.2%), 1,614 criminal seizures (+17.3%) and 14 precautionary custody orders. Administrative offenses are also increasing, 15,062 (+11.7% compared to 2022) and the related sanctions (34,121, +20.9%).
Southern Italy is the main victim of illegal brick: confirmed at the top of the regional ranking Campania with 1,531 crimes (equal to 14.9% of the national total), first also for the number of people reported (1,710) and sanctions (4,302). Puglia follows in second place (1,442 crimes, 14.1% of the national total), Sicily in third (1,180 crimes, 11.5%) and Calabria in fourth (1,046 crimes, 10.2% of the total) . But the threat of illegal construction does not spare even Central and Northern Italy: in fifth place is Tuscany with 794 crimes (7.7% of the national total), followed by Veneto with 705 crimes (6.9%) and Lazio with 617 crimes (6%).
To report it Legambiente which, on the occasion of the launch of the “Green Schooner” And “Schooner of the Lakes“, presents a preview of the dossier data “Mare Monstrum” dedicated to the illegal cement cycle, collected by law enforcement agencies and port authorities. A plague that is difficult to heal, or in this case to “overcome”, especially along the coasts where illegal construction subject to demolition orders is over 6 times more widespread than in the hinterland. In particular, between 2004 and 2022, the average of demolition orders in the coastal municipalities of Lazio, Campania, Puglia, Calabria and Sicily, the five regions most affected by the phenomenon, is 64.1 ordinances per Municipality, compared to the average of 10.7 ordinances for inland municipalities. In light of this Legambiente returns to ask the Government for immediate answers such as the recognition of full power to the Prefects to demolish the buildings that are not demolished by the Municipalities and the cancellation in the “Save Home” Decree of the so-called “silence-consent” which would open the way to new abuses given that no Municipality will ever be able to examine an amnesty procedure within the established 45 days.
To turn the spotlight on the issue of building abuses that disfigure coasts and shores, together with those of poor purification, protection of biodiversity and achievement of the objective of 30% of land and sea protected by 2030, renewables, off-shore wind energy, crisis climate, drought and good practices related to sustainable tourism, will be the historic Legambiente campaigns to monitor the quality of Italian marine and lake waters: Goletta Verde 2024, now in its 38th edition and created with the partnership of ANEV, CONOU, Novamont and Renexia and Goletta dei Laghi, now in its 19th edition with the partnership of CONOU and Novamont. Both with the media partnership of La Nuova Ecologia. Which will return to set sail respectively from June 28th to August 13th And from June 28th to August 2ndwith the motto “We will never stop”.
“The Italian coasts – he comments Giorgio Zampettigeneral director of Legambiente – I am a heritage from priceless value, rich in history, beauty and biodiversity but increasingly usurped by wild brick with buildings that often remain in the state of skeletons, which privatize beaches or which arise in the middle of river beds or in areas at hydrogeological risk. The preview data from Mare Monstrum shows us the urgency of intervening with legislative measures, as we asked the Government and all the political forces with our amendments to the Salvacasa decree, for us a disguised amnesty. We will also shine the spotlight on Italy’s slowness on renewables and offshore wind, reiterating our no to fossils and anachronistic choices such as the project for the Bridge over the Strait of Messina. At the same time, Goletta Verde and Goletta dei Laghi enhance and protect the immense biodiversity heritage of our aquatic ecosystems, an effective antidote to climate change. Protagonists will also be the lakes, increasingly threatened by poor purification and drought, which this year especially afflicts the south of the country, which we will monitor with the aim of raising citizens’ awareness and promoting solutions to combat the climate crisis”.
Goletta Verde will also stop in Cilento and in fact the 15th of July will be ad Acciaroli. Projects on board. This year too, the Goletta Verde is hosting the environmental education workshops “Discovering the sea”, free and aimed at children and teenagers. With the Life Delfi and Life Elife projects, you will listen to dolphins talking and understand why we shouldn’t be afraid of sharks. With Life Turtlenest, you will discover how to protect sea turtle nests and how to help their young reach the sea safely. With Life SeaNet, you will shed light on the extraordinary wealth of marine sites in the Natura 2000 network. And marine ecosystems will be the protagonists of the “Deep Blue” photography competition aimed at all operators and lovers of the sea who will have until September 30 to send their shots to [email protected]. With Life Muscles, you will discover alternative solutions to polypropylene (PP) nets used in mussel farming plants, one of the most common types of waste found on the seabed and beaches of the Mediterranean.
