Good news for the dolphins. The proposal to create a protected area for these beautiful animals will soon become reality. Already renamed 'the sea of dolphins', it will be an arm of water in Tuscany and will be the largest site in the Mediterranean for the protection of the bottlenose dolphin.
Good news for the dolphins. The proposal to create a protected area for these beautiful animals will soon become reality. Already renamed 'the sea of dolphins', it will be an arm of water in Tuscany and will be the largest site in the Mediterranean for the protection of the bottlenose dolphin.
The new Sic, site of community interest, on the bottlenose dolphin that goes to protect the species of tursiops truncatus, very widespread in Tuscany, is in the pipeline. The regional council has approved the resolution that closes the administrative process, so, after the approval of the regional council, which should take place by December, the site will be officially established.
The area is that which extends between the municipalities of Pietrasanta and Piombino and includes the islands of Gorgona, Capraia and the Secche della Meloria, for an area of over 3740 square kilometers, considering that the two islands and Meloria had already been designated in 2015. Overall, as we said, this is the largest site in the Mediterranean for the protection of bottlenose dolphins.
The aim of the directive is precisely to help safeguard biodiversity by conserving natural habitats, as well as wild flora and fauna in Europe. We have talked about it many times, dolphins must be protected because pollution is lowering their immune defenses making them more and more vulnerable. Plastics and microplastics do the rest and suffocate them to death. Added to this are maritime traffic, food shortages due to fishing, accidental catches and habitat degradation.
“The act stems from a broad sharing - said the Councilor for the Environment Federica Fratoni - the result of a positive process of consultation with local actors that has satisfied everyone, from entities to stakeholders, including fishermen and environmental associations. I am very pleased with this further step in the direction of safeguarding biodiversity. We have put another piece of the commitment that the Region is carrying out for the protection of cetaceans and sea turtles and more generally of the marine ecosystem ".
The process was announced in Viareggio last October, giving way to the approval process by the Region in concert with the Port Authority of Viareggio, the Municipality of Viareggio, the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, Arpat and the University of Siena. . The decision comes after an increase in the deaths of dolphins affected by the so-called measles of cetaceans had been recorded in this sea area.
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