In the Port Museum of Tricase, Gino the trash-collecting octopus rolls up his sleeves again.

A day dedicated to environmental protection and promoting a more sustainable use of marine resources.

This was the common objective that yesterday, in the Port Museum of Tricase, involved the AETHER, BONSEA, and COMMON projects together with fishermen, diving centers, the Local Maritime Office, the Municipality of Tricase, ecological, cultural, sports, and volunteer associations, including a large group of young scouts from all over Italy.

The event, which brought together the now historic underwater cleaning operation “Gino, the trash-collecting octopus” with the coastal cleaning initiative “Together for the Environment,” was organized by the Tricase Branch of CIHEAM Bari, ASSET – Agency for Sustainable Territorial Development of the Puglia Region, and the Civil Protection of the Puglia Region in collaboration with the Municipality of Tricase, which was responsible for disposing of what was collected from the seabed, along the docks, and on the coast.

During the day, Lema and Vanessa, two loggerhead sea turtles of the species Caretta caretta, were released back into the sea after receiving necessary care at the Marine Turtle Rehabilitation Center – Calimera, which donated the first aid tank to the Tricase Headquarters of CIHEAM Bari and provided a brief lesson on first aid techniques to be applied if a wounded or distressed turtle is encountered at sea.