BLUE FLAG 2023

The blue flag is a recognition given by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) to European coastal resorts that meet quality criteria relating to bathing water parameters and the service offered, taking into consideration, for example, the cleanliness of the beaches and tourist marinas.

Read the official press release from the Municipality of Cecina

 

🌿🏕️ Let’s support separate waste collection together at Camping Bocca di Cecina! 🌍♻️

Dear campers and nature lovers,

We are thrilled to launch our awareness campaign on waste sorting here at Camping Bocca di Cecina!
We want to do our part to protect the environment and preserve the beauty of our beloved campsite.

Separate collection is an important step to reduce the impact of waste on the surrounding ecosystem.
We want to invite you to join us in making a difference by adopting green and responsible practices while you are here.

Here are some simple but effective rules to follow:

🌱 1. Know the colors and categories of waste: separate collection containers are marked with specific colors for each type of waste. Make sure you familiarize yourself with these colors and dispose of your waste in the right categories, such as paper, plastic, glass and organic.

🌍 2. Reduce, reuse and recycle: Before throwing anything away, ask yourself if it can be reused or recycled. By reducing the consumption of single-use products and promoting the reuse of items, we can reduce the overall amount of waste produced.

🗑️ 3. Keep the campsite clean: respect the surroundings and the campsite. Keep common areas clean and use recycling bins correctly. Every little effort contributes to maintaining the beauty of our campsite.

Remember, environmental protection is a commitment of all of us.

We are confident that together we can make a difference and create a healthier environment for ourselves and for future generations.

ENHANCEMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT STARTS WITH CORRECT INFORMATION

The video on the creation of eco-sustainable reforestation plants of Posidonia oceanica meadows was recently presented at the Livorno aquarium.
The work is the result of joint research between ASA, the Livorno Aquarium and the University of Pisa which over time has seen the aggregation of ISPRA, the University of Siena and the high fashion textile company Coatyarn in the production of the fabric used for the production of the net of plant feed.

THE POSIDONIA SEEN FROM THE CAMPING BOCCA DI CECINA

Those who habitually frequent the camping beach are already familiar with the topic of this article since even during the 2022 season there were some days (few fortunately!) where objectively the entry into the water for swimming in the sea was difficult and uninviting: the causes and reasons are to be found in other decidedly more technical (and historical given the area in question) areas, but what the CCFT Council is pressing is to make its campers aware of this issue since over time the interventions made have been many and the desire to meet the tourist demand in the best possible way remains a commitment both for today and for future seasons. Therefore, let us start from the beginning using the very words of those who deal with the subject.

The problem. “Leaves that naturally fall from the plant can arrive on beaches following storm surges and form even impressive accumulations, up to several meters in height, called banquettes. Their presence in beach-tourist areas is disliked by bathers who consider them a waste rather than a natural component proper to the shoreline, and as such, a nuisance to be removed“.
Source https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it/attivita/tema-mare/posidonia-oceanica-spiaggiata-la-gestione-degli-accumuli-e-la-valorizzazione

What is it?
“Posidonia oceanica, contrary to what many people believe, is not a seaweed but rather a vascular plant belonging to the Marine Phanerogams. It has roots, leaves, stem, flowers and fruits, known as sea olives.
According to the Water Framework Directive, posidonia seagrass beds are one of the 4 Elements of Biological Quality (EQB) to be assessed to verify the environmental status of marine-coastal waters.”
Posidonia meadows are protected as endangered natural habitats.
Source https://www.arpat.toscana.it/temi-ambientali/acqua/acque-marine-e-costiere/qualita-delle-acque-marino-costiere/stato-ecologico/posidonia-oceanica

Where is it located? As for the Tuscan coastline:

• Shoals of Meloria. Off the city of Livorno;
• Livorno. It extends south of the city center to Quercianella;
• Shoals of Vada. The grassland covers an area of shallow water between Castiglioncello and Marina di Cecina. In general, the prairie is in good condition although, especially in its northern portion, there are large tracts of dead “matte” clear signs of regression and degradation;
• Baratti. It extends from the area south of St. Vincent to the promontory of Piombino;
• Follonica. A large seagrass covers the bottom of the entire Gulf of Follonica, from 7 to 20 m depth;
• Talamone. A grassland stretches across Talamone Bay interrupting at the mouth of the Albegna River;
• Burano. The grassland stretches as a long strip parallel to the coast, between 10 and 25 m deep, extending from Ansedonia to the Lazio border;
• Islands: Pianosa records the most important posidonia meadow in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea, with a wide belt surrounding the island colonized by dense bundles of leaves. Gorgona, Capraia, Montecristo, Giglio, and Giannutri, on the other hand, see prairie reduced to a coastal zone, given the slope of the rocky seabed that quickly sinks into the blue and the paucity of shallow-water bays. Even in Elba this plant can normally be observed, and the grasslands are more or less in good condition depending on their location.
  Source https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/contentfiles/00007000/7077-mlg-55-2010.pdf

Below is a summary diagram of the main characteristics of posidonia made by ISPRA: In everyday life. What does the presence of posidonia deposited on the beach entail? “You will definitely find remnants of posidonia on the shore. This seaweed is not trash, but part of a natural ecosystem.”(text from the signs of the coves in Menorca, Balearic Islands). For many years, the issue of posidonia has been at the center of a widespread discussion where on one side are the swimmers who even consider it a waste, something to be removed, while on the other side are those who respect it as an important natural resource and promote its management focused on its enhancement through environmentally sustainable practices. In between are all the nuances between the two extremes.
Let us look at some specific aspects that emerged during the study of this topic.
Pros:

• Has a beach protection function;
• Mitigates damage caused by storm surges;
• Protects shorelines from the erosive action of wave motion;
• Does not give off a bad smell;
• Is not harmful to health;
• Is a valuable environmental resource;
• is a key element for the entire Mediterranean coastal system;
• stabilizes the backdrops (see photo);
• produces oxygen and absorbs CO2. Posidoniae are a kind of large marine lung;
• Acts as a nutrient store. During winter, the accumulation of dead leaves along the shoreline not only supports the food web of shoreline-dwelling species, but also functions as a temporary nutrient reserve. These substances are recirculated by coastal dynamics processes: while a large part returns to the grasslands themselves, the remainder is transported to the dune zone where, acting as a fertilizer, it promotes the growth of pioneer plant species;
• functions as a nursery for many species of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, plants and other living things;
• plays a primary role as an oxygen producer and carbon store, storing about 50 percent of the carbon buried in marine sediments, or twice as much as terrestrial forests;
• can be reused in agriculture, construction and the manufacture of everyday objects.

Cons:

• the visual impact is not pleasant;
• access to the sea is limited;
• passage on the shoreline is difficult;
• High costs for eventual disposal.

How to manage beached posidonia? According to ARPAT “it would be important to mature a different perception regarding both the presence of posidonia in our seas and toward beached posidonia. In fact, not only do P. oceanica meadows play a key role on coastal dynamics when they are lush in the sea, but also the dead leaves of this marine plant, carried ashore by currents, form mixed sandy clusters that can exceed even one meter in height (banquettes).For this, however, we need to change our mentality, and environmental education and awareness-raising activities accompanied by the willingness of municipalities to promote an ecological beach model, such as the one also proposed by ISPRA and experimented on some Italian beaches, are necessary.” The possible ways of managing accumulations according to the latest guidelines of the Ministry of Environment:

• In situ maintenance of accumulations (so-called “banquettes”);
• displacement of accumulations;
• In situ burial;
• Transfer of accumulations to recycling facilities;
• transfer to landfill of accumulations (residual solution to be implemented in the impossibility of using the alternative solutions described above);
• Re-entry into the marine environment.

Source https://www.ambientesicurezzaweb.it/accumuli-di-posidonia-spiaggiati-come-si-gestiscono/
N.B. each of these options is governed by a specific and strict procedural process.

The location of Camping Bocca di Cecina
. Posidonia is undoubtedly regarded as a valuable natural resource that should be managed, as far as possible, in the direction of tourism supply through the maintenance works regulated by the current law. It is clear that in the face of the combined action of the sea current with the volume of posidonia in the sea, the forces that the CCFT Board of Directors can activate appear very limited: in any case, over the years several interventions have been made to remove debris from the beach previously agreed upon with the municipal administration and as much in harmony with the life cycle of the plant as possible, but for the future it is necessary to undertake also a strong collaboration with those who frequent that stretch of beach both during the summer season and throughout the year.
That is why this awareness campaign promoted by Camping Bocca di Cecina for its campers begins here, which aims to enhance the territory and the resources that are present in the area: first of all, it is important to understand the nature of the subject, namely posidonia, after which to proceed toward finding a balance between the comfort of vacationing and the accessibility of services on the one hand and respect for the environment, as a necessary resource for life, on the other. Human activities such as trawling (capable of removing and destroying whole chunks of seagrass), scraping of anchors from recreational boats, cementing of coastlines (road construction, harbors, consolidations, sand mining), pollution from chemicals spilled into the sea, and, last but not least, climate change are causing major changes in the pattern of atmospheric and marine currents that are, inevitably, impacting the coastline.
The campground beach is a blatant example of this strong change that is before the eyes of those who historically frequent it.
In concrete terms, the CCFT Board of Directors is both in continuous contact with the municipal administration and the official bodies in charge of the management of the beached posidonia and working on the front of alternative services that it will be able to offer from the 2023 season precisely during those days when the posidonia residues will be most troublesome: some already active such as the swimming pool and the rental of sup or pedal boats while others in the preliminary study phase. In addition to this, Camping Bocca di Cecina has the good fortune to be located in a strategic point that allows its guests to access, on foot and in a short time, large stretches of free beach located along the Tomboli di Cecina nature reserve: one route starts from the new area, near the sports facilities, and the other goes directly from the beach.

To see the routes shown check this map.

In conclusion. Due to the importance of the posidonia issue and the amount of stakeholders involved, the topic is constantly evolving, so the awareness campaign is only just beginning; continue to follow us through the website and social media to stay updated on upcoming news.

Insights.
https://www.architetturaecosostenibile.it/green-life/curiosita-ecosostenibili/posidonia-spiaggiata-alghe-degrado-qualita-ambiente-958

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKTzNp-MALk&t=22s enhancement

https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it/attivita/tema-mare/posidonia-oceanica-spiaggiata-la-gestione-degli-accumuli-e-la-valorizzazione greenreport

https://greenreport.it/news/aree-protette-e-biodiversita/come-stanno-le-praterie-di-posidonia-oceanica-presenti-in-toscana/

Video made by ISPRA in collaboration with the ScieNcEToghether – NET project for European Researchers’ Night 2020 >>> https://youtu.be/LeBdd-jJT6U

Educational materials for children https://lifeseposso.eu/?page_id=8844

Municipality of Cecina >>>

https://www.comune.cecina.li.it/notiziario/ambiente-mobilita-urbana/posidonia-spiaggiata-rifiuto-risorsa-lintervento-mare-vivo-onlus-pramerica-sgr

MareVivo Project >>> https://marevivo.it/attivita/rispetta-il-tuo-capitale/