Venice Lagoon Plastic Free participated for the second time in the Historic Regatta of Venice alongside the European Union Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”, which aims to protect and restore the health of our oceans and inland waters through research, innovation, citizen engagement, and investments in the blue economy.
VLPF sailed through the San Marco basin and the Grand Canal aboard a caorlina, a traditional Venetian boat kindly provided by the Castello rowing club, a member of the Venice Community of Practice against marine litter. This Community was established by VLPF during the current year as part of the Mission Ocean HEUROPE SeaClear2.0 project. The boat proudly displayed the Mission Ocean flag, presented to VLPF by Dr. Elisabetta Balzi, head of the Mission Ocean, during the Forum of organizations adhering to the Mission Charter, held at the European Parliament on March 6, 2024.
For the city of Venice, the Historic Regatta is a deeply symbolic event that blends history, culture, tradition, and athletic competition. The event opens with a historic procession that reenacts the triumphant welcome given to Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, when she arrived in Venice in 1489 after being forced to abdicate her throne in favor of the “Serenissima.” The historic parade is followed by a sporting competition in which various categories of Venetian boats (strictly traditional and wooden) battle it out in rowing races.
The race is the most significant rowing event of the year.
In this setting, where past and present meet, Venice Lagoon Plastic Free participated to deliver an important message: supporting the achievement of the European Union’s Mission Ocean goals and the urgent need to protect the marine environment of the city and the Venice lagoon.
VLPF uses the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Venice and its Lagoon” as a laboratory to develop innovative solutions for the prevention, monitoring, removal, and promotion of a sustainable circular economy for Venice. VLPF, affiliated with the Small Island Organization (SMILO) and the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA), is one of the organizations authorized to input data into the European EMODnet database. Among VLPF’s most significant activities, in addition to monitoring macro and microplastics in the Venice lagoon, there are two particularly important initiatives:
- Permanent Ghost Boats Program
Ghost Boats are abandoned fiberglass or fiberglass-coated wooden boats that are unregistered and left stranded along the shallows, waterways, and canals of the Venice Lagoon. It is estimated that there are thousands of them. Their presence contributes to the spread of macro and micro-contaminants from resins, paints, and metals. VLPF has launched a permanent program to locate and eliminate every Ghost Boat from the Venice Lagoon, directing these vessels to their final and most appropriate destination: the recovery and recycling of their metal and plastic components. Through the Ghost Boat project, now in its third year, VLPF has so far managed to remove and recycle over 5.5 tons of metals and fiberglass, thanks also to cooperation with GEES RECYCLING in Aviano. - Petition against the improper use of tires as boat fenders
VLPF, together with WWF, Legambiente, LIPU, and Salsola, a group for environmental protection in Campalto, Venice, has launched a petition to urgently amend the Water Circulation Regulations of the Metropolitan City of Venice and the Municipality of Venice. This petition is crucial to addressing the serious issue of End-of-Life Tires (ELTs) being used as fenders, especially by transport boats, as a cost-saving measure instead of purchasing unsinkable fenders. This common practice has littered the seabed with tires, releasing harmful substances (microplastics and other contaminants) into the environment and posing risks to human health. Amending these regulations is an act of consistency with national regulations and the commitments made by the city of Venice under the Plastic Smart Cities initiative, Venice as the world capital of sustainability, and the goals of the EU Mission for the Restoration of our Ocean and Waters by 2030.
In April 2024, VLPF’s awareness, monitoring, waste removal, and recycling activities were officially recognized under the European Union’s “Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters” Charter, which aims to safeguard and restore the marine ecosystem by combating pollution and promoting a blue economy.
To mark this commitment, symbolically as well, VLPF sailed along the Grand Canal with the Mission Restore our Ocean & Waters banner, sharing its message of marine conservation, particularly for Venice and its Lagoon, with the vast international audience of the Historic Regatta.