World Ocean Day: “Mission Eurydice” and Sicilian sensitivity to the sea
Today is World Ocean Day, and to mark the occasion we want to point out the project of two Sicilian brothers, which features the sea of Cefalù.
Andrea Spinelli, a marine biologist at the Oceanographic Institute in Valencia, Spain, specializing in the conservation of marine environments, biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea and ecology of endangered marine species. And Marco, a documentary filmmaker with a focus on the environment, especially the preservation of marine ecosystems.
A year ago, in 2021, the two boys had launched a fundraiser with the goal of clearing the most important shoal in the Gulf of Cefalù, Sicily, which was completely covered with ghost nets. They did it: a ton of abandoned nets removed from the Gulf of Cefalu and the entire work documented. This is“Mission Eurydice.”
But what are ghost networks?
“Ghost nets” refers to abandoned and scattered remnants of nets, lines and other materials lying on the seabed. These real traps bully fish, turtles, crustaceans, and other animals to death by starvation, laceration, or infection, causing damage to the ecosystem. Approximately 640 tons (United Nations Environment Program UNEP report) of nets and other gear are lost at sea each year and continue to “fish” for a long time. They also account for about 89 percent of marine litter, and while in the past they were made of hemp or natural materials, today they are mostly made of plastic, which takes hundreds of years to decompose.
The situation in the Gulf of Cefalù
For about 5 years, a large number of ghost fishing nets have been lying on the seabed of the Gulf of Cefalù, killing marine animals, but also choking (barring all crevices useful as shelters) and desertifying the area. The coralligenous fauna was significantly reduced, as was the local fish fauna. Therefore, the Spinelli brothers decided it was time to take action, and thanks to the 700 people who contributed to their fundraiser, they were able to bring “Mission Eurydice” to life, removing 1 ton of ghost nets in Cefalù with a team of several experts.
Why the name “Eurydice Mission?”
On Marco Spinelli ‘s Instagram page, he himself explains the choice of name. he name recalls the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
“It is about a love story that prompts Orpheus to travel to the underworld, in the presence of Hades, in order to bring back to life his beloved Eurydice, who lost her life due to a snake bite. To descend deep into the realm of the dead, where everything is suffocated by the phantom net, remove the traps and give that wonderful place a second chance–a hope for life! This is Mission Eurydice.”
The documentary presentations
These days there are several presentations of “Mission Eurydice”(trailer here). The premiere in Italy was in Milan, at Tempesta Gallery. Today, (June 8) another preview is scheduled at Ostello Bello in Milano Centrale during an event organized in collaboration with SurfWeek. Tomorrow (June 9) another meeting at the Worldrise Festivalmar, also in Milan.
Opening photo from the documentary Mission Eurydice.