About us
Marecamp is a voluntary association, recognized by CONI and the Regione Siciliana, which carries out and promotes sports, educational, eco-tourism, and research activities at sea.
It aims at social inclusion and respect for the marine environment and can count among its members both federal instructors and marine biologists with many years of experience.
With Marecamp you will experience the sea from all points of view, with particular regard to young people from Catania who are less fortunate, disabled and able-bodied.
Its main objective is to bring the new generations closer to the practice of CONI federated marine sports, instilling in them a sense of aggregation and respect for the rules on which every civil society is founded.
And also, through paths of environmental education, it aims at the development of a collective consciousness based on respect for the sea.
We promote the culture of the sea, to be transferred to the families of our children and to future generations, through sport and the environment, according to the following sub-objectives.
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To increase the psycho-physical well-being and social integration of teenagers, coming from outlying areas and disadvantaged neighborhoods of the province of Catania
- To develop a civic and environmental awareness in the population of Catania, with a consequent re-evaluation of the "Culture of the sea"
- To animate the dissemination of Mediterranean flora and fauna, with particular attention to the conservation of protected species
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To favor the development of the coastal territory and the tourist deseasonalization in Sicily
- Expanding the available data resources for the scientific community on the health status of cetacean species present in the Gulf of Catania
The Gulf of Catania is one of the best examples in Europe of integrated management of coastal and marine resources. The local community knows the flora and fauna present at sea and respects the principles of sustainability for their protection. The cetacean populations present in the area are stable, and the sightings of common dolphins are frequent, species until a decade ago at risk of extinction. Teenagers with disabilities and able-bodied train together near the port of Catania, preparing to get on the podium of the world championship for powerboat for the fifth consecutive year. The waters in which they compete are clean and the floating waste is only a distant memory for the Mediterranean.
If our Mission works, all of this will be a reality in Marecamp 2030.
The association was founded in 2011 by Dario Garofalo, world champion of Endurance, a gold medal for athletic value, technical for the national youth team for two years, as well as coming from four generations of fishermen.
Born to help young people to practice Motonautica sport and seafaring activities in general, over the years, thanks to the collaboration with various federal instructors and marine biologists, has expanded its fields of action, going to involve various sports at sea, and deepening more and more environmental issues until the launch, in 2014, of the project "Dolphin watching and Conservation in the Gulf of Catania".
Historical is the homonymous sports summer Campus, thanks to which they grew small big sea lovers, and that in the year 2017 has reached its eleventh edition.