President of Sea Shepherd Italy
He has been the national coordinator of Sea Shepherd Italia ever since the organization was founded in 2010, and he is also a volunteer for Sea Shepherd Global, the most efficient and fiercest worldwide species conservation movement founded by Captain Paul Watson.
When the ship Steve Irvin arrived in the Mediterranean during Operation Blue Rage, in the course of which 800 bluefin tuna illegally caught were set free, Sea Shepherd began its defence of the mare nostrum. On that occasion, a deep friendship with the Maiorca family originated. From that, the first Italian campaign arose. The aim of this campaign was to protect the fragile, wonderful ecosystem form the more and more threatening actions of poachers. In 2012 Sea Shepherd received by the Italian authorities an award as the best organization for the defence of the seas.
In 2017 he launched Operation Jairo Med, aimed at protecting turtle nests and, during the same year, on board the Sam Simon, he led to 74 kilometres of illegal fishing equipment (Fad) being seized in the waters of the Aeolian Islands. As the years go by, he has been leading Sea Shepherd to being more and more present in Italy. In this, he is supported by Enrico Salierno, his second-in-command and deputy national coordinator. Currently, his organization has hundreds of volunteers, who are present in almost every region. They organise beach cleaning, projects in schools, and they cooperate more and more closely with authorities, institutions and other environmental organisations, to defend and conserve our oceans.
Favourite quote: “What I’ve dared, I’ve willed; and what I’ve willed, I’ll do!” (Captain Ahab)
