The Adriatic Sea is part of who we are: it nourishes us, connects us, and shapes us. We grew up along its shores, learned to swim in its blue waters, and many of us still build our lives around it today. But how do we give back? Every year, tons of waste end up in the sea. In winter, we see more and more trash on the beaches, in summer, we dive into depleted underwater habitats, and the fish that used to be our Friday lunch are becoming scarce, or disappearing entirely.
Witnessing these changes, students from the Maritime School in Split decided to take matters into their own hands. Near the end of this school year, on June 10th, they organized and carried out a clean-up action of their school grounds and a competition for collecting waste. Not only did they improve their school environment and have fun, but they also sent a powerful message.
Maritime School students for the future of the sea
– We want a future where our sea is clean, where fishermen pull up fish instead of plastic, and where beaches remain beautiful places for swimming and diving, – says Nikola Jurić, a student at the Maritime School.
– We want to spread the word to young people, adults, fishermen, tourism workers, decision-makers –even rappers and influencers – that it’s high time we changed our relationship with the sea. Without it, there is no us, – adds Marin Dominović.
– Even though adults make the laws and decisions, it’s the youth who will live with the consequences of today’s problems. The students at the Maritime School understand this very well. They are the ones who will sail these waters in the future, rely on its resources, and share it with generations to come, – notes teacher Dafne Vlahović.
Long-term change is the goal of the FishNoWaste project
This action is part of the FishNoWaste project by the Sunce association, carried out in collaboration with partners from Croatia and Italy. Its goal is to improve the protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity, and green infrastructure, reduce all forms of pollution, and educate people about sustainable practices. Removing waste from beaches is not enough – the key is to prevent it from being created in the first place.
Within the FishNoWaste project, pilot areas have been identified (four fishing ports in Italy and Croatia: Chioggia, Brižine, Rimini, and Tribunj) for implementing sustainable solutions, with the hope of expanding them on a larger scale in the future.
– Sunce will focus on education and raising awareness about the principles of reducing, reusing, and recycling waste, as well as marine litter. We need better waste management, public education, reduced single-use plastics, and stronger enforcement of laws. Unfortunately, much of this is still not implemented in practice, – says Tea Kuzmičić Rosandić, project manager at Sunce.
As part of the project, students from the Maritime School in Split and 5th Vladimir Nazor High School participated in a series of workshops to learn about marine litter and to gain hands-on experience implementing their own projects, successfully communicating their message to the community and the public.
Be part of the change for the Adriatic Sea
This initiative by the students of the Maritime School is a reminder that change is possible when communities and individuals take action. The greatest impact comes from preventing waste from reaching the sea in the first place. The students believe in change and want to show, through their example, that the sea can be restored and preserved. What we do today shapes the world we will live in tomorrow.
