On the fourth Thursday of September, World Maritime Day is celebrated every year, promoted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). This event highlights the sustainable use of the resources provided by the ocean and the need to establish standards for safety in international shipping, while paying tribute to seafarers.

The motto chosen for this year is “Our ocean, our obligation, our opportunity”. The United Nations thus highlights the vital role of the ocean in the world economy, since more than 80% of world trade is transported by sea. The ocean is a source of employment and food for millions of people, a home for countless marine species, and a regulator of the planet’s climate, mitigating the impacts of climate change.

However, it is also exposed to various threats, such as pollution, overexploitation or the accelerated effects of climate change, among others, and it is everyone’s responsibility to protect it.

THE MARITIME SECTOR

Today, the shipping industry accounts for 80% of the world’s trade volume and contributes to the transportation of millions of people around the globe. It is therefore also one of the major drivers of the tourism sector, as almost one third of all tourism activity in Europe takes place in coastal regions.

Likewise, maritime transport is one of the fundamental pillars of the blue economy, a sector that encompasses all activities related to the sea and that has the ocean as the main engine of growth and innovation to achieve sustainable economic development.

The blue economy generates a wealth of 2.5 trillion dollars per year in the world, which, in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), would be equivalent to the seventh largest economy on the planet. Activities such as sustainable fishing or aquaculture employ more than 350 million people globally and, in Europe alone, generate some 4.5 million jobs.

Spain provides an ideal setting for the development of the blue economy as it has almost 8,000 square kilometres of coastline. The Spanish blue economy employs more than 690,000 people and generates around 23,000 million euros of gross value added.

However, with more than 3 billion people worldwide dependent on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods, a healthy ocean needs to be ensured.

Along these lines, the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has been promoting the Pleamar Programme since 2014, co-financed by the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (FEMPA). Its objective is to contribute to the protection of the ocean by supporting scientific projects that support the fishing and aquaculture sector in its commitment to sustainability. Since its inception, nearly 200 projects have been carried out with the participation of more than 2,300 people. Thanks to a new call, 43 initiatives are currently being implemented that work to improve the knowledge, conservation and restoration of marine ecosystems, with a special focus on the marine Natura 2000 Network.