Consorzio di Gestione dell' Area Marina Protetta Punta Campanella

The Marine Protected Area of Punta Campanella, which was first created in 1982, was established in 1997 by a decree from the Ministry of the Environment 12/12/97. The Area covers a territory of 1,128 hectares as well as the adjacent coast and has a fundamental role in the protection of the territory and particularly in the protection of the coastal marine area. This role is stipulated in the Protection of the Sea Act number 979/82 and detailed in the subsequent parent Act relative to Protected Areas number 394/91. The Marine Park of Punta Campanella is under the authority of the Management Consortium of the six municipalities involved. The Park’s goals are environmental protection and monitoring, environmental education, sustainable tourism and local development. The Park includes two Sites of Community Importance (SCI) – Punta Campanella and the Marine Depths of Punta Campanella and Capri; manages a CEE, Centre of Environmental Education of the Region of Campania; hosts the Observatory Environment and Legality, a structure which tackles the issue of environmental lawlessness, raises awareness about environmental issues and carries out monitoring and prevention activities; is part of the project LIFE TARTANET, a network for the conservation of sea turtles in Italy whose goal is to protect sea turtles, set up in 2004 by the Students’ Tourist Centre in collaboration with other entities and NGOs. The Park is a member of a network of multifunctional centers (Centres Rescue Sea Turtles – CRST) located along the Italian coasts. The Park’s regular activities include: - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT – nautical activities to clean the sea bottoms and to collect garbage; beach activities during the Cleaning Days (coordination of the volunteers and raising awareness about the pollution of the environment) - ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING – monitoring of the Posidonia prairies, fish stock, sea turtles, nesting of the Gabbiano Corso. Collect and creation of data - ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION – Hosting and working with the Centre of Environmental Education of the Region of Campania, the MPA carries out campaigns of training and information within educational institutions, public and private organizations - ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE ECO-TOURISM – activities for children and teenagers, films and documentaries about the environment, conferences, excursions. - OFFICE WORK AND INFOPOINT: data bank of environmental connections; development of the monitoring; support in the communication and organisation of national and international public events - ECO-TOURISM PROJECT “THE BAY AT THE END OF THE PATH”, in collaboration with the FAI (Fund for the Italian Environment) and the MAREA Outdoors Sportive Association. The project’s goals are the promotion, the valorisation and the management of the Ieranto Bay thanks to guided visits along trekking paths which lead to the Bay (the use of motorboats is forbidden and fishing is restricted) and snorkeling guided visits along the rocky sides. The MPA’s goal is to offer alternative and sustainable tourist activities by organising excursions both at sea, to explore the coast and the sea depths, and on land to explore the archeological and industrial site of the limestone quarry that has been restored by the FAI. Besides, the MPA also promotes a sustainable fishing and allows within its territory only professional fishing techniques which have a low impact on the environment. Finally, the MPA promote studies and research projects about traditional fishing techniques.