Larvotto MPA cleanup 2026
Education and Awareness
On Saturday 3 October, AMPN, as manager of Monaco’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), organised the annual clean-up of the Larvotto MPA.
Thanks to the support of the Association’s volunteers, divers from the Club d’Exploration Sous-Marine de Monaco (CESMM), and the participation of the Société Monégasque d'Assainissement (SMA), 30.8 kg of waste were collected, including 28.5 kg underwater.
At sea, the waste collected consisted mainly of glass, metal objects, plastics, ropes and various other materials.
On land, cigarette butts once again ranked among the most frequently collected items. A total of 530 cigarette butts were picked up, despite the ban on smoking on Larvotto beach and the daily cleaning carried out by SMA.
These results are a reminder that, even in a protected area, too much waste is still present in our environment. Prevention and everyone’s individual actions are therefore essential to ensuring the long-term preservation of marine and coastal ecosystems.
Many thanks to CESMM, SMA, as well as to the 35 divers and 15 land-based volunteers, for their commitment and dedication to protecting the Mediterranean.
Photo credit : AMPN.
