A new marine anti-pollution service of the Ministry of the Environment is launching with the rental of 32 naval units specialized in the containment and recovery of hydrocarbons and derived substances and mineral oils in the
waters of the territorial sea, along the national coastal perimeter. An important novelty compared to the past is that the marine anti-pollution service, together with the traditional forms of contrasting hydrocarbons, will also dedicate itself to the collection of floating marine litter and in particular of plastic, both in protected marine areas and in areas in front of the mouths of rivers. During the duration of the contract (two years), awarded to the Castalia Consortium following an EU tender, the presence, quantity and quality of floating marine litter and plastic collected at sea will be tracked in order to evaluate suitable initiatives to combat the phenomenon of plastic in the sea, in line with the international commitments undertaken by our country (Barcelona Convention, marine strategy, etc.). For this activity, the ministry will be supported by the Corepla consortium with which an agreement was signed last summer for an experimental project for the recycling of plastic material recovered from the sea from the fleet.