Protect the Strait of Messina Seabed—No Ponte!

Text and photos by Cristina Condemi unless noted.

Scilla, Italy May 14, 2024—Activists opposed to building a bridge to connect Sicily to the rest of the continent call this idea an “eco-monstrosity” against the Strait of Messina.

The Italian government wants to build a bridge to connect Sicily with the rest of the country, and they’ve placed much emphasis on this expensive and complex project. They say that the bridge will be “a favor” to Italians who have been waiting for it for 50 years, and that, finally, this government will move from words to action.

In reality, this bridge wouldn’t be a favor.  We believe it’s a serious threat to the environment.

The project, the plans for which date back to 2011, involves the construction of a bridge with a total length of 3,660 m/2.25 mi. It would be the longest in the world, with a single span of 3,300 m/2 mi. The deck—the structure that should support roadways and tracks—is 61 m/200 ft wide, while the towers supporting it are 399 m/1,300 ft high. 

According to various environmental experts, this project would have an irreversible impact on the landscape and the ecosystem, with significant consequences for the migratory routes of birds and cetaceans that pass through this area. The seabed in general, among the most precious habitats in the Mediterranean, could be threatened by such construction.

We at Scilla Diving Center have recently discovered a precious forest of Laminaria ochroleuca in the area affected by the bridge construction. Its presence on the Sicilian side was already known, and now we have found that the forest also exists along the coasts near Scilla. This is a species protected by the Bern Convention (Annex 1), which hosts, proportionally, a greater biodiversity than terrestrial forests. It is present only here, in the Strait, and in the Alboran Sea throughout the Mediterranean. A unique and precious natural heritage, now under very serious threat.

Fortunately, the Ministry of the Environment has halted the bridge project and has requested 237 integration documents from the company managing the project, Stretto di Messina s.p.a. All of these documents concern various areas where the project preparation has been deemed deficient—especially concerning environmental impact. In particular, there are a lack of assessments on air quality and the dispersion of pollutants in the sea. The Ministry’s request also included analyses on biodiversity protection, the effects of noise pollution, vibrations, electromagnetic fields in the area, and a study on the potential aftermath of a  tsunami.

The government threatens that the bridge will be built, even though, thanks to this slowdown, construction cannot begin in the summer of 2024, as initially planned.

We—local communities, environmental associations, and all those who care about the nature and habitat of the Strait of Messina—cannot lower our guard. We are extremely concerned that this giant concrete structure will soon wreak irrevocable havoc on this precious ecosystem.

At Scilla Diving Center, we care deeply about the integrity of the marine environment of the Strait and all the wonderful creatures that inhabit it. Because of this concern, we are involved in this dissent.

To that end, we have decided to take an active part in this battle: the “No Ponte” (No Bridge) movement. We will donate a percentage of our earnings to the network of initiatives aimed at stopping this (potentially) very harmful and (certainly) unnecessary project in hopes of protecting this critical ecosystem for generations to come.

Join protesters on social media. Facebook: No Ponte! Instagram: No Ponte!