MAIN BLUE ECONOMY SECTORS
• FISHERIES
• AQUACULTURE
• TOURISM
• OFF-SHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY
• PORTS
• SHIPBUILDING AND REPAIR
• MARITIME TRANSPORT
• SEABED EXTRACTIVE ACTIVITIES
• MARINE BIOECONOMY & BIOTECHNOLOGY The Blue Economy, which encompasses all economic sectors with direct/indirect link to the ocean, is a powerful engine for territorial development The sea is a powerful engine of economic development. With 46,000 Km of coastline, the Mediterranean region owns a unique asset that must be protected and sustainably developed. The Mediterranean Sea, according to a report by WWF, represents the fifth largest economy in the region, with an overall value estimated at US$5.6 trillion (4.7 trillion euro). It estimates that ocean–related activities in the Mediterranean Sea generate an annual economic value of US$450 billion, representing about 20% of the annual global GDP. However, such asset has been eroding by unsustainable activities and practices putting at risk the livelihood of 150 million people depending on it (Reviving The Economy of the Mediterranean Sea - Actions for a Sustainable Future, WWF 2017).

FISHERIES/AQUACULTURE AND COASTAL/MARITIME TOURISM PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN TERMS OF JOBS AND INCOME CREATION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN! FISHERIES
Fishing is a primary activity in the Mediterranean since the dawn of civilization, even before the development of agriculture. The profile of the boats, the knowledge linked to the winds, the stars, the orientation, the fishing professions, the gastronomic traditions have represented a distinctive feature of the culture and history of our basin over the centuries. The fish economy continues to play an important socio-economic role:

• It is a significant economic sector (approx. 3.4 billion euros in 2018)
• Approx. 1.7% of the world catches are fished in the Mediterranean, which is equal to 4% of the value, due to the greater value of the species caught;
• The EU fleet counts over 110,000 fishermen and 40,000 fishing boats, often obsolete, of which 80% are less than 12 meters;
• There are four fishing systems: small-scale artisanal fishing, seine fishing to catch blue fish (40 to 70% of the catch by volume), trawling and deep-sea fishing.

Anchovy is a key species for the Mediterranean fishing industry and the food canning. The fishing of tuna, swordfish, albacore, sardine, bogues and sardinella have great economic value. Italy, by value of catches, is the first “fish” country in the Mediterranean: national landings amount to about 260 thousand tons, for a production value of over 992 million euros. Source (Eurostat)

Fishing activities can improve through innovation and research so as to generate additional employment. To this end it is key to develop monitoring and evaluation systems by engaging with the wider scientific and political community connected to the oceans. Certification is one of the tools available to raise public awareness and support sustainable fishing. For instance, the Marine Stewardship Council

The issue of by-catch: In the Mediterranean, the percentage of discarded fish can reach up to 70% and affects both species with no commercial value on the market and individuals of target species below the minimum conservation size. The gap affects both stocks of interest, because it affects young individuals before they have reached reproductive age, reducing the commercial impact of the same stocks of interest, because it affects young individuals before they have reached reproductive age, reducing the commercial impact of the same stocks of interest, because entire marine habitats are damaged are altered. In addition, threatened species such as marine turtles are often caught accidentally. The reduction of fishing waste is fundamental for the fishermen’s economy. In fact, according to the reformed Common Fisheries Policy, for the main demersal species, individuals under the minimum conservation size caught accidentally must be landed but cannot be sold. Moreover, by-catch takes a huge amount of space on board at the expense of marketable fish (Source: WWF).

• Improved regulation at transnational level to limit the impact of fisheries and avoid unfair fishing methods.
• Practices of coastal management and marine governance to identify criteria and requirements for the development of sustainable aquaculture as complementary activity to fisheries and potential solution for the sustainable development of local communities.
• Increased development and innovation of sustainable aquaculture, carefully monitoring and minimizing the use of nutrients (for example through the coproduction of algae for energy production and other uses), with strategic effects in terms of job opportunities.
• Training programs to transfer knowledge on best practices to entrepreneurs and employees in fisheries and aquaculture and support a wide deployment of sustainable practices and innovation capacity building.
• Stakeholders engagement in participating activities, including public authorities and research centres to implement value chains based on aquaculture. Innovative monitoring systems to have a constant control at national and regional level on fishing activities and their sustainability compared to availability of fish stock in different seasons.
• Making sustainability of aquaculture activities a leverage for market development, for example through innovative information systems addressed to consumers.

Sustainable Development in the Mediterranean – Transformations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 2020 Santa Chiara Lab (Università di Siena) Overexploitation has led to a progressive depletion of fish-stocks with loss of biodiversity and impacts on local economies of coastal communities. Recommended policies concern the following issues.

AQUACULTURE Aquaculture or farming in water is the aquatic equivalent of agriculture or farming on land. Aquaculture covers the farming of both animals (including crustaceans, finfish and molluscs) and plants (including seaweeds and freshwater macrophytes), and it occurs in both inland (freshwater) and coastal (brackish water, seawater) areas. Aquaculture is among the fastest growing food production systems in the world. According to the latest global aquaculture statistics compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), total production reached a new historical record of 114.5 million tons live weight in 2018, with a total value of USD 263.6 billion. Total production is made up of 82.1 million tons of aquatic animals (USD 250.1 billion), 32.4 million tons of aquatic algae (USD 13.3 billion) and 26,000 tons of ornamental seashells and pearls (USD 179.000). In the Mediterranean region, aquaculture plays a major role in economic growth and food security while reducing dependence on overexploited wild stocks. It has developed at a sustained pace over the past 20 years, with an average annual growth rate of 5% between 1994 and 2015. Total production of fish and shellfish from aquaculture amounts to approximately 2.4 million tons. Marine aquaculture, which represents 70% of the total, is highly developed on the northern shore of the Mediterranean and confirms Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Egypt, and Turkey are the main marine aquaculture producers. The sector counts over 120,000 direct jobs and, according to some, over 700,000 if indirect jobs along the value chain are considered.

The GFCM (http://www.fao.org/gfcm/en/) is a regional fisheries management organization established under the auspices of the FAO. Its main objective is to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of living marine resources, as well as the sustainable development of aquaculture in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. It plays a key role in fisheries governance, having the authority to adopt recommendations. binding for the conservation and management of fisheries and for the development of aquaculture, including the regulation of fishing methods, fishing gear and the minimum landing size, as well as the definition of measures for the protection of the marine territory, control of fishing effort fisheries and multiannual management plans for selected fisheries.

TOURISM Mediterranean coastal tourism is often based on the so-called 3S model (Sea, Sand and Sun) model. All-in-one packages including low-cost airlines, comfortable accommodation and cheap food, have massively increased tourist flows towards the Mediterranean coasts. Over the years, the 3S model has been extended to include different facilities, including golf courses, swimming pools, leisure parks, etc. Visitor travel patterns have also evolved: whereas at the beginning they used to spend their holiday at the same place for a longer period, nowadays they prefer to get away more often during the year for shorter stays away from home. In general, the relationship between the economic benefits, usually captured by large international operators, and the induced social and environmental transformation at destination level remains problematic. Local communities are increasingly concerned to preserve their natural, economic and social assets from negative impacts, which may arise from the development of facilities for tourism purposes (Plan Bleu, 2017).

The drivers of the over-tourism are specific to urban, rural and coastal areas as much as to islands, attractions and heritage sites. Many over-tourism consequences are related to the frustration of those who live in a host destination, such as:

• increased congestion
• pressure on infrastructure
• growth in energy and water demand
• pollution
• environmental degradation
• damage to historical sites and monuments
• loss of identity and authenticity
• increases in living costs for local residents
• increasing inequality among local residents

(Source: Over-tourism: impact and possible policy responses, European Parliament, Policy Department for Structural and Cohesion Policies, Peeters et al. 2018) • The anchoring of boats, especially in the summer months, which sweep the seabed
• Marine pollution deriving from terrestrial sources (e.g. discharges from purification plants, which causes turbidity and impede the passage of light)
• The discharge of bilge waters of the countless ships that ply this marine area
• Sand extraction and dredging in ports
• The presence of invasive species, such as some algae, which in some areas are overwhelming the Posidonia
• Illegal, illicit or non-environmentally friendly fishing practices that ruin the seabed

Yachts (>24 meters) and mega yachts (>34 meters)
• 70% of the world’s mega yachts are sailing in the Mediterranean all year
• Increase of yachts/mega yachts economic impact on ports (+10% thanks to fuel, insurance, dockage fees, maintenance, crew, etc.)
• Better capacity of mega yachts to manage environmental impacts
• Capacity for building superyachts full for the next 2-3 years (reference year 2020)
• Marinas, especially in the Western EU-Mediterranean countries, generally close to full occupation. Greece and Turkey follow the same trend. • Yacht owners are more international than leisure boat owners. Many come from Russia, Arabian Peninsula, Asia by plane to reach their yachts
• Growing weight of refit and repair as sub-sectors (Source, Plan Bleu 2020) The Mediterranean Sea is also among the most important cruise areas in the world: it reached 27 million passengers in 2013, with a sustained increase of around 5% per year. Cruise infrastructures remains located on northern shore: 75% of Mediterranean ports are in Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Croatia and Slovenia, while 9% of ports are in Turkey and Cyprus; and 7% in Northern Africa. (Plan Bleu 2017) Leisure boating is an important economic activity which is increasing in popularity worldwide, and the Mediterranean Sea is one of the most popular nautical tourism destinations in the world. Very few works have assessed its impacts on marine ecosystems ranging from anchoring on sea grass meadows (Posidonia oceanica) to noise disturbance, toxic antifouling products, transport of exotic species. Moderate impacts include discharge of grey waters, air pollution, and fuel and oil leaks. Low impacts include sediment suspension, discharge of black waters and marine litter, artificial light emissions, and animal feeding. There is an urgent need to raise awareness of the potential impacts of leisure boating in Mediterranean coastal environments, and greater research effort is required to monitor these ecological impacts and pressures, especially in marine protected areas (Source: Arnau Carreño and Josep Lloret, 2021).

Cruise sector in the Mediterranean region
• Bigger vessels (on average 3,000 passengers) and higher passenger movements: 8.6 million in 2000 vs. 28 million in 2018 • 70% of travels in the period May-October even if off-season cruising has been growing in some ports • Cruising is increasingly concentrated in the western Mediterranean (approx. 75%) • Growing vulnerability of the sector to geopolitical/security/health issues • Unbalanced distribution of the sector’s revenues vis-à-vis investments and negative impacts suffered by local communities at destinations • Past trends show that the cruising market is driven by the offer, namely each time a new cruise ship enters the market, it is fully booked. Given long investment periods (~20 years) and long construction period, the quantitative development of the market is relatively easily projectable into the medium-term future. (Source, Plan Bleu 2020)