Mare Monstrum, the Italian coasts under siege of environmental crimes

The Legambiente report confirms the critical state of the Italian sea, including building abuses, spills, illegal fishing and poor waste management.

• There is a growing criminal attack on the coasts and sea of ​​our country:Legambiente's Mare Monstrum report certifies this.
• In 2023, 22,956 environmental crimes were confirmed, 8.4 crimes per kilometer of coast, i.e. one every 119 metres.
• Purification, waste management and illegal fishing are the other areas on which, according to Legambiente, a pact between institutions and citizens is needed.

While the political debate is all about beach concessions, We often forget that the Italian coasts are increasingly under siege from environmental crimes, against which the repressive action of the police, although growing, is not sufficient on its own:We need a broader and more coordinated commitment, in which all institutions work together to protect our precious natural heritage.The new Legambiente report makes the alarm bell ring, Mare Monstrum 2024, which highlights a growing criminal aggression on the coasts and sea of ​​our country.Presented on the eve of the 14th anniversary of the death of Angelo Vassallo, the fisherman mayor of Pollica who sacrificed his life in the fight to protect the sea and coasts of Cilento, the report paints an alarming picture of the state of health of our maritime resources.

The worrying increase in environmental crimes

The 2024 edition of the report in fact signals a worrying increase in environmental crimes, with code red numbers showing how 2023 marked a negative turning point.They have been verified 22,956 environmental crimes, with a increase of 29.7 percent compared to the previous year.This is an average of 8.4 crimes per kilometer of coast, i.e. one every 119 metres, a figure that underlines the breadth and the severity of the threats to which the Mare Nostrum is subjected. Among the most widespread crimes, the illegal cement cycle continues to represent the main threat to the Italian coasts, with 10,257 confirmed crimes (+11.2 percent compared to 2022).This phenomenon, which includes building abuses, illegal occupations of maritime state property and illegal quarries, alone represents the 45 percent of total environmental crimes.Southern Italy, in particular, remains the most affected area, with the regions with traditional mafia settlements - Campania, Sicily, Puglia and Calabria - recording more than half of the crimes.In fact, only Campania matters 3,095 criminal offences, followed by Sicily with 3,061, Puglia with 3,016 and Calabria with 2,371.

Added to this is the data on crimes linked to pollution:the abandonment and illegal disposal of waste, discharges into the sea and the inefficient management of purification systems have increased significantly.Crimes related to maritime pollution in 2023 were 6.372, with an impressive increase of 59.3 percent compared to the previous year.Illegal fishing has also seen a worrying increase:4,268 criminal offenses (+11.3 percent).

“The illegal cement cycle – he explains Enrico Fontana, responsible for the Environment and Legality Observatory of Legambiente – represents the most significant share of environmental crimes also analyzed in this edition of Mare Monstrum, mainly due to the myriad of building abuses that continue to scar Italy.A devastating phenomenon for the social, environmental and economic development of the entire country, which mainly affects the South, in particular the regions with traditional mafia settlements, and the coastal areas, the summer pearls of the Bel Paese and on which it is necessary to intervene with a decisive hand and with reductions that can no longer be postponed.Furthermore, illegal construction along the coasts multiplies pollution phenomena, due to direct discharges of illegally built properties into the sea". 

More complaints, more arrests, more seizures

Faced with the escalation of crimes, the report also highlights an improvement in enforcement actions by the authorities.The people reported were 25.545, with an increase of 43 percent compared to 2022, while arrests almost doubled (+98.1 percent), reaching 204.Seizures are also on the rise, with 4,026 interventions, which represent an increase in 22.8 percent.These data confirm that, despite the worsening of the situation, law enforcement agencies are intensifying their efforts to fight illegality.

The national president of Legambiente, Stefano Ciafani, underlined the urgent need for more decisive intervention by the institutions. “This year too, given the daily commitment of the port authorities and law enforcement agencies against aggression on the coasts and sea of ​​our country, we reiterate the need to strengthen the role and activities within the competence of all the institutions involved, from individual Municipalities to Regions and Arpa".According to Ciafani, it is imperative that Parliament and the Government listen to Legambiente's proposals, which range from the fight against illegal construction to illicit waste management and illegal fishing.“We need to strengthen the demolition of illegal properties” continued Ciafani, “not providing for new amnesties, modernize and complete the sewerage and purification system, strengthen the circular economy and provide for more severe sanctions for illegal fishing”.

Legambiente's proposals

Proposals such as, as in every edition of Mare Monstrum, have converged in a decalogue aimed at institutions, to effectively address the growing emergency.As anticipated by Ciafani, Legambiente's requests focus on four fundamental areas:in first place is right there fight against illegal construction, which had also found ample space in Ecomafia 2024 report published in July, encouraging demolition and strengthening sanctions for managers who fail to take the necessary measures.But great attention must also be given to fight against bad purification:improve and modernize purification systems, investing in sewerage systems to avoid sanctions from the EU and protect water quality.It is then necessary, according to Legambiente, to intervene on the marine waste management, by regulating ship discharges and promoting prevention in the production and management of waste to avoid abandonment at sea, and on illegal fishing, introducing tougher sanctions and a more effective regulatory framework to combat illegal practices that undermine the sustainability of marine ecosystems.

Only through a synergy between legislation, interventions in the field and a cultural change will it be possible to safeguard the sea and the coasts, giving Italian citizens a healthier and more sustainable marine environment, in line with the legacy left by figures such as Angelo Vassallo.