Blue Growth is the European Union long-term strategy to support sustainable growth in the marine and maritime sectors. Seas and oceans are regarded as drivers for the European economy and are considered to have great potential for innovation and growth. It is regarded as “the maritime contribution to achieving the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The 'blue' economy represents roughly 5.4 million jobs and generates a gross value added (GVA) of almost €500 billion a year.” (1) However, further growth seems possible in a number of areas which are highlighted within the strategy. The strategy consists of these components:
The sectors that have a high potential for sustainable jobs and growth in Europe are:
Aquaculture: farming finfish, shellfish and aquatic plants is one of the world's fastest growing food sectors, it already provides the planet with about half of all the fish for human consumption. In Europe, aquaculture accounts for about 20% of fish production and directly employs about 85 000 people. The Commission intends to boost the aquaculture sector through the Common Fisheries Policy reform, and in 2013 published Strategic Guidelines presenting common priorities and general objectives at EU level (2).
Coastal and maritime tourism: employing over 3.2 million people, this sector generates a total of € 183 billion in gross value added and representing over one third of the maritime economy. As much as 51% of bed capacity in hotels across Europe is concentrated in regions with a sea border. The coastal and maritime tourism sector has been identified as an area with special potential to foster a smart, sustainable and inclusive Europe. It is the biggest maritime sector in terms of gross value added and employment and is expected to grow by 2-3% by 2020. In 2012, cruise tourism alone represents 330 000 jobs with a direct turnover of €15.5 billion and is expected to grow.
Marine biotechnology: is concerned with the exploration and exploitation of the resulting diverse marine organisms in order to develop new products. Exploration of the sea biodiversity could enable to develop new pharmaceuticals or industrial enzymes that can withstand extreme conditions, and which consequently have high economic value. In the long term, it is expected that the sector will offer high-skilled employment and significant downstream opportunities (3).
Ocean energy: Seas offer vast renewable energy resources. Ocean energy technologies are currently being developed to exploit the potential of tides and waves as well as differences in temperature and salinity. The development of this emerging sector would not only help us to achieve our renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction targets, but it could fuel economic growth through innovation and create new, high-quality jobs (4).
Seabed mining: The quantity of minerals occupying the ocean floor is potentially large. Seabed mining is concerned with the retrieval of these minerals to ensure security of supply as well as to fill a gap in the market where either recycling is not possible or adequate, or the burden on terrestrial mines is too great. This small sector has been identified as having the potential to generate sustainable growth and jobs for future generations. However, the lack of knowledge of the deep-sea environment necessitates a careful approach. The European Commission is thus engaged in a variety of studies and projects aimed at shedding light on the benefits, drawbacks and knowledge gaps associated with this type of mining (5).