Groups challenge Italy’s marine protection

Environmental organisations ClientEarth and Legambiente, supported by the Blue Marine Foundation, have launched legal action against Italian authorities over inadequate protection of two marine protected areas (MPAs).

The case targets the Tutela del Tursiops Truncatus site in Tuscany and Litorale di Gallipoli – Isola di Sant’Andrea in Apulia, demanding stronger safeguards for seabeds, habitats and species threatened by bottom trawling.

Francesco Maletto, Ocean Lawyer at ClientEarth, said: “Protected must mean protected.” He accused local authorities of ignoring legal obligations and said the action was putting Italian authorities on notice over destructive bottom trawling.

The Tuscan site lies within the Pelagos Sanctuary, a cross-border conservation area shared by France, Italy and Monaco and dedicated to marine mammals and their habitats. Although it is Europe’s largest MPA and an important refuge for bottlenose dolphins, campaigners describe it as a ‘paper park’ because bottom trawling remains generally permitted.

In Apulia, the Litorale di Gallipoli – Isola di Sant’Andrea contains valuable seagrass meadows and reef habitats, but much of the site remains unmapped while bottom trawling continues.

The organisations say authorities have failed to properly map habitats, assess the risks posed by bottom trawling and introduce preventative measures to limit damage.

Legambiente’s head of protected areas Antonio Nicoletti said harmful fishing practices were undermining marine biodiversity and sustainable fisheries. He called for bottom trawling to be eliminated from MPAs by 2030, alongside stronger controls and management.

Blue Marine Foundation’s Jean Luc Solandt said the condition of Italian marine species, habitats and fisheries required urgent action, adding that recovered marine ecosystems benefit both people and wildlife.

Italy is among the Mediterranean’s most heavily trawled nations, with Italian-flagged vessels accounting for about 34% of Mediterranean bottom trawlers.

Campaigners say only around 1% of Italy’s waters are effectively protected, despite MPAs covering about 11%, leaving the country far from its target of protecting 30% of waters by 2030.