Abusive party on Isola delle Femmine. Reserve director: “a very serious fact”

by Redazione, published on 01/07/2024
Categories: News / Disclaimer

On June 29, an illegal party took place on Isola delle Femmine in the Palermo Sea, leaving behind garbage. The island is a protected reserve and can only be visited if strict protocol is followed. The director of the nature reserve, Lapidary, says: “a very serious fact”.

The confusion that broke out Palermo in connection with the denunciation Lipu, Italian League for the Protection of BirdsWith abusing party which took place last Saturday in Isola delle Femmine Nature ReserveAND birthday party. The party was supposed to be a party of two twin brothers from Palermo, both doctors, who are used to unusual parties (in villas and popular places: last year for example at Fiumara d’arte in the province of Messina), to celebrate their double genetliaki on June 29. This year on June 29 they were at Isola delle Femmine with about 80 guests, from ‘Palermo bene’, when, to interrupt the music and dancing (complete with sound system/lights, console and speakers for music, what to drink and eat) they came Coast Guard, Finanza Guard, Carabinieri and Police (a dozen patrol boats) who landed in force to check whether there was a permit or not and to identify those present. Two doctors claim that they had permission from the owner to be on the island and their intention was not to organize a party but rather to make promotional film of the area.

Lipu, who has been the guardian of the nature reserve and manages it since 1998, raised the alarm. guided tours and quota tours while only at certain times of the year so as not to disturb the peace of protected species. The islet of about fifteen hectares, which gave its name to the commune, which is located on the mainland, in front of it, is private property and since 1997 has been a reserve with some areas of total prohibition due to the strategic specificity it has in the migratory routes of many birds that use it as an intermediate stopover and nesting place. We are talking about cormorants, grey heron, kingfisher, white heron, small passerines, some of which also nest, such as the wagtail, the axe and the grey wagtail, as well as birds of prey from the surrounding areas, such as the buzzard and the peregrine falcon. The breeding birds are the blackbird and the common treecreeper. The species that is by far the most visible is the herring gull, which nests here with several hundred pairs, one of the most significant colonies of herring gulls in the Tyrrhenian Sea. But in addition to the birds, there is also terrestrial fauna that is equally worthy of protection.

“The situation” – explains the general director of Lipu Danilo Selvaggi“there was a carpet of cigarette butts, plastic cups, plastic and glass bottles and wood piled up to make a campfire. Some participants held a sign saying ‘Save the Planet’. There may have been some goodwill in this initiative, at least in a small way, but we can no longer afford, in the 21st century, in the heart of an ecological crisis, for a protected area to be disturbed in the middle of a nesting period – when even our guided tours are suspended.”

Investigators are checking in which part of the reserve the party guests landed, whether in the absolute protection zone or the one where excursions are organized, but – as Lipu explained – the music and dancing could not have been authorized under any circumstances.

“From 1998 to yesterday,” he explained. Vincenzo Di Diodirector of the reserve managed by Lipu. “It never occurred to anyone to storm the islet. This is a really serious fact. Also because during this period species nest on the island, and from March 1 to June 30 visits are suspended, as written on the island, where regulations are posted in several places.”

Another special feature of this case is that the DJ hired for the evening is former member of the Coast Guard, now retiredwhere, among other things, he was also responsible for the maritime office of Isola delle Femmine. The DJ tries to explain the matter: “It was not a party, but a video clip that was to be filmed on the islet of Isola delle Femmine”, apparently commissioned by the medical brothers, who, according to the DJ, “had permission from the owner of the islet, Marchesa Paola Pilo Bacci, to film a video clip to enhance the beauty of the island”. In fact, the islet has been for sale since 2017.

“I am not the organizer of the party on the islet,” the DJ explained. “I only agreed to DJ the video clip. I read the owner’s permission and was assured that both the Harbormaster’s Office and the governing body were notified of the shooting of the video clip. How it ended is known. But I repeat that the intention was not to destroy the island, but to make a film about the four basic elements of nature for Greek philosophers: water, air, earth and fire. I was a military captain, I would never take part in a party on the islet. It would be serious. The party was to take place at the Beach Club, from where we went to Isola delle Femmine. There is nothing there for profit, we wanted to have a party there for the video clip, but we were moving there when the authorities intervened, who stopped us and brought us safely down.”

Now the investigation will determine whether this was an exclusive theme party or a way to create a promotional video useful for sales.

Island of Women.

Its name seems to come from “Insula Fimi”, the island of Euphemus, named after Euphemus of Messina, the Byzantine governor of Sicily. Geographic isolation, offering protection from human aggression and an abundance of food resources are the distinguishing features of this island. These environmental conditions allow it to be visited by more than fifty species of birds. The different species change throughout the year, in fact we can say that the change of species means the change of seasons more punctually than the calendar.

The Isola delle Femmine Oriented Nature Reserve was created in 1997 by the Sicilian Region and has been managed by Lipu since then. The island is also a Natura 2000 and Geosite area. In addition to various species of birds, there is the field lizard, the Biacco and two species of geckos. In 2021, a small land snail was discovered, the Siciliaria leucophryna microinsularis, which is endemic, that is, it only occurs on Isola delle Femmine. The seabed surrounding the island is home to the trottoir a Vermetidi, a biostructure similar to coral reefs but formed by molluscs characteristic of few places in the Mediterranean.

A nature trail allows visitors to explore the reserve, reaching the most interesting points. The Oasis Visitor Center is located in one of the main squares of the town, where parking is easy. The small, picturesque seaside village of Isola delle Femmine offers many options for accommodation and dining. Note: the island and town have the same name, but are located opposite each other.

Abusive party on Isola delle Femmine. Reserve director: “a very serious fact”

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