Italian coastal towns host plastic clean‑up events on World Oceans Day

On 8 June, the World Oceans Day, Pescara organized its fourth "plastic‑fishing" competition. Around 200 boaters on 24 vessels collected about 76 kg of waste—including plastic bottles, bags, a large buoy and even a traffic‑light piece— from the sea and the Pescara river. The event was run by Assonautica Pescara Chieti together with the Marina di Pescara, supported by the Abruzzo regional council, the Pescara municipality, the local chamber of commerce, the Coast Guard and several environmental groups, and received recognition from the European Maritime Day 2026.

In the nearby town of Le Castella, a volunteer dive team of ten specialists cleared ghost nets and plastic debris from the protected waters of Capo Rizzuto. Coordinated by the Crotone Coast Guard, the operation was part of Ambiente Mare Italia’s “Liberiamo insieme il Mare” project, which targets the roughly 730 tonnes of plastic that enter the Mediterranean each day. Both actions highlighted community involvement and the push to reduce marine pollution in Italy’s coastal areas.