COMMON project: first preliminary meeting in Maremma, Italy

Public institutions, municipalities, MPAs and local waste authorities. People with regulatory capacity or influence, were invited for the first preliminary meeting in Maremma, one of the five common pilot areas, in order to define the training needs and create a local working group to create a team building addressing the issue of marine litter.

The meeting, set for 1 October at 3.00 pm in online mode, brought together local authorities, coast guard, tourism, bathing and fishing trade associations in a virtual round table to understand what are the main problems encountered today regarding marine and beached waste, whose effects affect both the environment and the blue economy chain and the territorial image itself.

Participants included the Municipality of Grosseto, the Municipality of Castiglione della Pescaia, the Maremma Park, the Coast Guard, Confesercenti Grosseto, FIBA (bathing establishments in the Grosseto area), CNA Balneari Grosseto, the bathing association of the Municipality of Grosseto, Cooperativa San Leopoldo (cooperative of fishermen), Portargentario (tourism and fishing)

The meeting developed with the following program:

• The Common project: local and transnational objectives and actions to reduce the risks of Marine litter. Elisa Scocchera – Legambiente Scientific Office

• Marine litter and Integrated Coastal Zone Management: a different approach to the problem. Emanuele Zendri – ICZM COMMON expert

• Round table, experiences and problems in comparison with the actors of the “Maremma” pilot area.

Moderated by Valentina Mazzarelli, Legambiente