Legambiente's Goletta Verde campaign flags 383 marine violations in Italy

Legambiente’s 40‑year Goletta Verde campaign set sail from mid‑June to early August, traveling coast‑to‑coast across Italy to highlight illegal activities, pollution and climate challenges affecting the sea and its biodiversity. Data gathered for the first time with the Guardia di Finanza and the Capitanerie di Porto show 383 administrative and penal violations recorded in 2025 across 32 marine protected areas and three national parks, including illegal fishing, habitat damage and contraventions of environmental protection rules. Fines totalled nearly €257,000, with the Isole Tremiti registering the highest number of infractions at 88. The campaign also draws attention to four EU water‑waste directive infringement procedures in Italy, estimated to cost over €200 million, and broader issues such as illegal building, ecomafia activity and coastal erosion. Partnerships with ANEV, CONOU, Novamont (Versalis‑Eni) and Renexia support the tour’s goal of raising public awareness and prompting stronger protection of marine ecosystems.