Sailing campaign in Italy

The sailing tour in Italy was carried out by Triton Research with the support of the Italian Naval League (LNI – Lega Navale Italiana). It consisted of six weeks of navigation, from 15 May to 28 June 2023, crossing five regions—Liguria, Sicily (western and eastern), Tuscany, Sardinia, Campania, and Lazio—and more than 50 marine sites of the Natura 2000 Network.

The vessels used originated from assets confiscated from organised crime and were entrusted by the judicial authorities to the Italian Naval League, which made them available together with crews composed of volunteer members of the League itself. The result was remarkable: these boats became vehicles for messages promoting the conservation of marine biodiversity and engagement in the protection of the Mediterranean Sea. Numerous activities were carried out, including participatory meetings and events aimed at raising awareness and increasing knowledge of the marine and coastal sites of the Natura 2000 Network, organised by Federparchi and LIPU, in collaboration with the managing authorities of the Marine Natura 2000 Sites. These included 14 guided tours, 12 participatory meetings, 2 press conferences, and 6 thematic meetings for local managers and tourism operators, involving a total of 300 participants.