Protection of the sea and the beaches: the importance of every action to preserve their beauty

The people of Sicily know very well how important the sea is, and even built their economy around it. The astonishing beauty of the beaches and the sea bring myriads of tourists every year, thus contributing to the financial well-being of the island.

And whilst we are very proud of being Sicilians and Italians in general, fortunate to have extraordinary coasts and beaches, we must not forget about the importance of looking after the well-being of our nature. We have the duty to set an example of a good environmental culture to ensure that the tourists find Sicily in the best conditions so that they also feel the need to respect it.

On one hand, it is certainly important to fight the big fight against dangerous political choices and environmental issues, on the other, the respect for the environment is taught starting with the small things. Events such as Earth Day, which takes place every year in Cefalù as well, or Fare Ambiente, for example, arise from the need of promoting a greater awareness of how our lifestyle and choices may affect the welfare and the state of the environment.

The respect for the land must start from a person’s own conscience and sense of duty. For example, some good reasons for not disposing of used oil in the sink include pollution of the water surface – or the sea – which causes damages to the whole ecosystem and endangers the marine biodiversity.

The Mediterranean is one of the most important ecosystems in the world due to its abundance of biodiversity. However, it is threatened by the impact of human activities: urbanisation and use of chemicals cause the eutrophication of the water and pollution by wastewater containing heavy metals.

And, naturally, the growing expansion of tourism also poses a risk to the well-being of the sea and of the beaches that every year, every summer, welcome thousands of people who are aware of the beauty, but sometimes careless in their attitude.

So where do we start? Joining campaigns and taking part in events is not enough. We have to start from our habits and every-day choices. The waste that we leave on the beach, for example, is harmful to the environment and can end up in the sea, thus endangering the marine flora and fauna. We must be aware of how important each action in the protection of the environment is. Only then we will be able to understand the relevance of sustainable environmental policies, initiatives, the creation of protected areas, campaign for the protection of the sea and the beaches, the events designed to spread ideas about the importance of looking after and preserving the environment.