Il progetto è nato nel 2014, quando Santiago Garcia, dottore in Scienze marine all'Università di Alicante, in Spagna, propose ai pescatori di Santa Pola e Torrevieja di non ributtare a mare i rifiuti raccolti con le reti, ma di riportarli a riva, per analizzarli e riciclarli.
“Raccogliamo tutto quello che viene gettato da navi mercantili, e imbarcazioni da tutto il mondo - spiega il pescatore Francisco Ruso - Lavoriamo anche come ‘spazzini’, mettiamola così". Secondo i dati raccolti dal dottor Garcia, la zona più inquinata dalla plastica è nel Mare di Alboràn, tra Malaga e Capo de Gata, dove si raggiunge la concentrazione di 20 kg di plastica per chilometro quadrato.
Ethel Eljarrat, scienziata del Consiglio superiore spagnolo per la ricerca scientifica, mette in guardia: “Quando mangiamo del pesce contaminato, assimiliamo tutte le sostanze tossiche che ha accumulato nel corso della sua vita, e il nostro corpo non può eliminarle. Questo può condurre a problemi neurologici, di fertilità, e in alcuni casi anche al cancro”.
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