AQUACULTURE
Aquaculture is an active and growing sector in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. It is playing an increasingly important role in food security, employment and economic development, while also reducing pressure on the region’s overexploited wild fish stocks. In 2018, an estimated 35 000 farms in Mediterranean and Black Sea countries produced 2.8 million tonnes of aquatic foods, directly and indirectly employing more than 500 000 people.
From a blue economy perspective, aquaculture holds strategic importance and is a key target for future development in coastal communities across the region. If managed and governed effectively, it could provide multiple socio-economic benefits. However, since aquaculture uses various production systems and is at different stages of development across the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, it must be managed holistically to ensure its growth remains sustainable while its full potential is realized.