Nautica Assistance, a yacht agency based in Sardinia, launched Ocean’s Lovers at the MYBA Charter Show on May 2. By the end of the event, more than 100 pledges were made by captains, crew, and the superyacht community.
“Our aim is that the people of yachting become consciously part of a simple movement to protect and love our Mediterranean and Sardinian sea because it is so delicate, vulnerable, and special,” says Federica Tilocca, yacht agent and marketing manager at Nautica Assistance. Tilocca explains that the initiative is still in the beginning stages and that they are working on growing awareness long term with the goal of getting captains, crew, and superyacht professionals to become part of this eco-friendly movement. Ocean’s Lovers was designed to help others take simple actions — as well as promote these simple tasks to others in the industry.
While the initiative lists popular actions you can take (like collecting and recycling plastic), it also makes a less-publicized request. “Captains and crew were really surprised about the request not to steal any sand from our Sardinian beaches, but it is actually an everyday nightmare during our summers in Sardinia when we have thousands of tourists each taking home bottles of sand and depleting our precious beaches at an alarming rate,” Tilocca says.
Currently, Nautica Assistance is looking into the possibility of buying a Seabin and sponsoring it for one of the marinas they work with. They are also working on organizing beach cleanups and other endeavors to help save our oceans, including making eco-friendly suggestions and creating a network of events with other yachting companies that are happy to join together.
For more related content:
Cesme Marine: The Squid Project
Going Green: How Crew Can Do Their Part