The image of white Styrofoam boxes on fishermen's boats will soon be destined to disappear. In the Gulf of Naples, the municipalities of Pozzuoli and the island of Procida have joined in the fight against sea pollution.
Thanks to European funds, thousands of plastic fish transport crates will be purchased to replace polystyrene ones, which are among the main factors in microplastic pollution of the Mediterranean Sea.

Aniello Micillo is a fisherman and cares about the health of the marine ecosystem: "I think this crate will be the future, I see it as a positive thing both for the hygiene of the environment and for those who do this job." Unlike the old polystyrene ones, the new crates are reusable after washing and disinfection, and Pozzuoli fishermen are ready for the change.

"The new plastic crates will be washed, there will be microchipping, they will no longer be thrown into the environment. There is a little more work involved, but I think it's better for the future and maybe we protect the environment," says Giuseppe Bucciero, president of the fishermen's cooperative 'La Flegrea'-The Pozzuoli fishermen show that it is possible to combine attention to work with respect for the environment. A small change can mean a lot for the health of the sea in which they work."

Luigi Manzoni, mayor of Pozzuoli, appreciates the cooperation of the fishermen: "For all the actions that can be put in place from the environmental point of view, they stand by the administration and, of course, they also grasp the news in a positive way because improving the environment means improving their business."

Plastic accounts for 95 percent of the waste in the Mediterranean Sea, which is the sixth largest area for plastic pollution in the world. Fishermen know the importance of protecting the environment in which they work and live.