The sculpture of white Brač stone was made by local sculptor Dragoslav Dragičević.
The Pinna nobilis is a critically endangered species in the entire Mediterranean, the town said in a press release. "Despite being strictly protected, there is no effective method at the moment to prevent its extinction and stop the infection affecting it."
The survival of the noble pen shell has become a serious environmental issue which requires urgent research and protection efforts to curb the decline of its population.
Noble pen shell numbers saw a drastic decline due to an outbreak in 2016, caused by a parasite called Haplosporidium pinnae.
Pinna nobilis is the largest species of Mediterranean clam. Its lives anchored to the seafloor in a partially buried fashion. They can reach up to 120 cm in length and they are known to live for 50 years. Their range is between 0.5 and 60 meters, they feed by filtering detritus and retaining the organic matter. Their filtering of the sea makes the species an important part of the ecosystem.
Supetar authorities say the sculpture will be a dominant "landmark" and can become a symbol, a meeting place and a platform for education about the importance of preserving the marine ecosystem. This project reminds and encourages the local community and their guests to engage in safeguarding the environment..
The sculpture was erected where it can be seen from the town and from the sea, making it an unavoidable part of the scenery.
Cooperation with artists, schools and environmental protection organisations can be key for the success of such an initiative and for raising awareness of the importance of protecting the sea, the press release said, adding that Supetar will also build a sea-themed children's park.
Sculptor Dragoslav Dragičević was born in 1988 in Supetar. In addition to numerous solo exhibitions, his art has been shown in many group exhibitions in Croatia and abroad.