Marina Ibiza, founding partner and promoter of the Marine Forum, took part in the opening day of the event held on 4 October at the Can Ventosa Auditorium in Ibiza Town. This annual event, a key meeting point for experts and lovers of the sea, addressed crucial issues such as the conservation of Posidonia, environmental education, and ocean conservation.
“In this sixth edition, we talked about the effective protection of the ocean, and we asked all institutions, companies, public authorities and islanders to join in with this initiative. What’s more, we showcased some projects to regenerate our waters and our coastline”, said Antonio Martínez Beneyto, Coordinator of the Marine Forum, an annual think tank promoted by IbizaPreservation, Fundación Marilles, Fundación Pacha, Trasmapi, OD Group, Vellmarí, and Marina Ibiza.
To mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of UNESCO having listed Posidonia as a World Heritage Site, the forum paid particular attention to this marine plant key to the health of the Mediterranean. Renowned experts such as marine biologist Manu San Félix, double Olympic champion Theresa Zabell, and Puri Canals, coordinator of The Ocean Foundation’s Global Network of MPA Manager Networks, shared their knowledge and experiences, providing an insight into the challenges and opportunities concerning the sea.
Marina Ibiza, an active member of the maritime community and passionately committed to adopting environmental measures, supported this initiative in order to promote joint actions to protect the Mediterranean.
“Attending the Marine Forum every year is for us the best way to support the conservation of our paradise and raise awareness among the yachting industry and the public authorities. The sea around us, especially around our islands, is vital for our business and must be protected by rolling out the necessary resources and implementing the necessary protection measures”, said Dani Marí, Manager of Marina Ibiza.
In addition to taking part in the event, the marina provided a space for the 100% electric-powered S/Y Galaxie, from the True World organisation, for a guided tour of a Posidonia meadow and for an underwater photography workshop led by MARE.
The Marine Forum has recently been addressing more and more topics to offer a holistic snapshot of the current situation of the Mediterranean. “Since its creation, the companies and entities in the Forum’s Promotion Team have mapped out a line of action that involves bringing expert voices to this event to analyse the situation of our sea and propose ideas that would benefit it. Our audience is global and inclusive because we understand that the entire Balearic society should know about what’s happening to our sea, which is a source of life and progress for these islands”, stressed Martínez Beneyto.
