The sea off Castel Volturno has calmed down. An illegal fishing net approximately five kilometers long, positioned just meters from the shore in a crucial nesting area for the loggerhead sea turtle, was removed thanks to a joint operation between the Guardia di Finanza – Naples Naval Operations Section – and the environmental organization Sea Shepherd. This swift action, made possible by the naval unit Sea Eagle , neutralized a veritable underwater trap.
The net, a silent and lethal threat to marine biodiversity, had already become a scene of salvation and tragedy. Inside, volunteers found cuttlefish, crabs and other marine species still alive, immediately released into their environment. But among the meshes was also the lifeless body of a Caretta caretta: a heartbreaking symbol of the damage that illegal fishing continues to inflict on the Mediterranean.
“These tools are invisible weapons against marine life, they strike everything without mercy,” denounced Andrea Morello, president of Sea Shepherd Italy. And the impact of the cleanup was immediately felt. In the days immediately following, the beach recorded new cases of nesting of the Caretta caretta, as if to reaffirm an interrupted natural right.
The Domitian-Phlegraean coastline is considered one of the most important habitats for this protected species, classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Sea Shepherd's Jairo Med Campaign 2025 launched from here, with volunteers patrolling the coast day and night from the "Enzo Maiorca" mobile base, in collaboration with ENPA Salerno and the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, as part of the European Life Turtlenest project.
Aerial reconnaissance with ultralight aircraft and continuous ground monitoring are enabling comprehensive surveillance of the territory, but the threat has not disappeared. Illegal fishing nets and the uncontrolled impact of human activity remain a constant, a dangerous pressure on the balance of the entire marine ecosystem. "Protecting the sea is not idealism: it's survival," Morello reminded us. And the echo of this truth resonates loudly on the beaches of Castel Volturno , where every turtle nest returned to nature is a small victory against indifference.
It's important that authorities take action to safeguard the marine ecosystem, but there are still many issues to address. Illegal fishing nets are just one of many threats. We hope this action continues over time.