Saline di Sicilia UNESCO candidacy faces port boundary dispute

The candidacy of the ‘Saline di Sicilia’ (Sicilian Salt Pans) for UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MaB) recognition has encountered administrative friction regarding the inclusion of the Port of Trapani. While the National Technical Committee for MAB-IGG UNESCO has approved the Italian proposal for the salt pans and coastal wetlands between Trapani and Marsala, disputes have arisen over the specific boundaries of the protected area.

The Western Sicilian Sea Port System Authority has expressed “strong perplexities” after learning that the final dossier submitted to the Ministry of Environment includes parts of the port's state property, specifically the fishing port and the Lazzaretto, while excluding the commercial area. The Authority is seeking urgent clarifications on how this inclusion will affect operational, infrastructural, and regulatory activities.

Salvatore Quinci, president of the Libero Consorzio Comunale di Trapani, has called for institutional clarity, balance, and common sense to resolve the impasse. He urged institutions to move past confrontations and use upcoming meetings at the Chamber of Commerce to find a definitive perspective, noting that the tight deadlines for the international evaluation phase require decisive action.