{"id":8121,"date":"2021-07-04T16:30:53","date_gmt":"2021-07-04T14:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.underwatertales.net\/2021\/07\/04\/wwf-a-portofino\/"},"modified":"2022-07-07T11:23:04","modified_gmt":"2022-07-07T09:23:04","slug":"wwf-in-portofino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.underwatertales.net\/en\/2021\/07\/04\/wwf-in-portofino\/","title":{"rendered":"WWF in Portofino"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WWF in Portofino. On the Blue Panda, their ambassador boat, to promote the \u201cghost gear project\u201d. With the contribution of the Marine Protected Area of \u200b\u200bPortofino and the volunteers of the Reef Alert Network.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The WWF “ghost gear project”<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For a few days, a wonderful sailboat<\/strong> has been sailing placidly in the waters in front of the Portofino Promontory. It is indeed very large, with a majestic tree<\/strong> rising into the blue sky. Flags<\/strong> and banners<\/strong> are waving, white with blue lettering. They are the symbols of the<\/strong> WWF<\/strong><\/a>. And that’s their ambassador boat. On the Blue Panda, a group of guys is ready for the \u201cghost gear project\u201d. And the new WWF<\/strong><\/a> mission can only start from here. From the oldest Marine Protected Area in Italy, that of Portofino<\/a>. It is not only the oldest. It is also the one with the most experience, where the protection of the ecosystem is giving the best results. In my opinion, it is best managed one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The precarious ecosystem of the seabed of Portofino<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

But even here, unfortunately, everything does not work perfectly. Under the surface of this cobalt blue sea, there are real wonders. It is the kingdom of red coral<\/strong>, huge fans of gorgonians<\/strong> and vaults covered with madrepores<\/strong> and sponges<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even down there it’s full of ghosts. They are the ghosts of the sea<\/strong> and they are slowly killing the wonders of this underwater world. Fishing nets<\/strong> and lines<\/strong>, entangled in the rocks of the seabed and abandoned by fishermen. Coral and gorgonians are suffocating, they stop reproducing, endangering the entire ecosystem of this stretch of sea. An ecosystem painstakingly reconstituted in 25 years of activity of the Marine Protected Area<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The abandoned fishing nets, if they remain partially suspended, continue to do their job. They keep fishing. They continue to trap all organisms that accidentally enter their meshes by swimming. Groupers, octopuses and many other animals are literally imprisoned by these ghost nets and begin a very long agony that will lead them to a slow and agonizing death.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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