Lake Garda: Calls to Ban Motorboats in Sirens Bay for Ecological Safety
A Sirens Bay free from motorboats. The request comes from the ecological association Amici della Terra. The Verona-based club has launched a petition drive among bathers frequenting the picturesque Punta San Vigilio area, supporting a petition aimed at preventing the transit and parking of motorboats in the enchanting bay.
The petition, which will be sent to the Comune di Garda and the Magistrato alle acque di Verona, also suggests the installation of appropriate floating barriers and no-entry signals. The Amici della Terra were prompted to intervene after numerous incidents of fuel spills near the shoreline and near-accidents involving vessels and divers, as highlighted in a press release.
Position of the Municipality and Navigation Regulations on Lake Garda
«We are not aware of the petition,» states Garda Mayor Giorgio Comencini. «However, the Municipality does not have jurisdiction in this matter.» The regulations governing navigation on Lake Garda specify that «motorized vessels cannot navigate within 500 meters of the shoreline, except for the coastal stretch of the western shoreline between the mouth of the Barbarano stream and the Rocca di Manerba, where this distance is reduced to 200 meters; the same limit applies to navigation around the Isola del Garda.»
The crossing of this zone is permitted, according to the lake navigation regulations, only in areas «not reserved for bathing», for the docking and departure of boats. Such maneuvers must be carried out «perpendicularly to the shore, at a speed not exceeding five knots, and with all necessary precautions to avoid accidents».
Regulations and Responsibilities
The core issue, therefore, is enforcing the legislation resulting from the coordination of interregional laws of Lombardy, Veneto, and the Autonomous Province of Trento, aimed at ensuring «navigation and bathing safety, ecological protection of coasts, waters, and fish reproduction zones, and the safeguarding and enhancement of tourist development».
It is ultimately the responsibility of the Municipalities with territorial jurisdiction to enforce these rules, utilizing, in addition to judicial police officers and agents, personnel authorized by each of the three administrations: Lombardy region, Veneto, and the Province of Trento.