knowledge and thereby allow any individual access to skills and knowledge across
disciplines. In addition, higher education is becoming increasingly important for
ocean science institutions in the Alboran Sea.
There is a tremendous opportunity and need for the scientific community in the
Alboran Sea to engage in and develop forward-looking research that has the potential to support new interconnected development pathways, particularly in highly
interlinked areas of the SDGs. Strengthen this international collaboration, and
governance will result in reducing the level of fragmentation by increasing the
coordination and the definition of common agendas, creating critical mass, maximizing efficiency of investments and existing capacities, and creating synergies in
marine and maritime research, technology, and innovation fields (Valdés et al.
2017).
The goal is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the national investments
in research, technology, innovation, related infrastructures, and development of
human capacities. To achieve this goal, it’s necessary to improve the transnational
cooperation and coordination of actions not only at the Mediterranean but also at
pan-European level. This goal should face the societal challenge of having healthy
and productive seas and oceans and to contribute to the European and FAO Blue
Growth Initiative as well as to the UN SDG.
In line with the need to strengthen the collaboration in the region of Alboran, a
recent initiative, the Foro Mar de Alboran (Rueda et al. 2019), was launched as a
collaborative process, recognizing the environmental problems and challenges faced
by fishermen, administrations, scientists, and society in general to the rational use of
the resources of the Alboran Sea. The Foro promotes avoiding fishing discards,
bringing together scientists, fishermen, professors of universities, nutritionists, and
restaurateurs of recognized prestige from the region to exchange knowledge and
seek joint solutions based on science for the future of the Alboran Sea and its people.
24.4 The FAO Blue Growth Initiative for Fisheries
and Aquaculture in the Mediterranean
Different regional and international organizations including FAO have reiterated that
marine pollution; overexploitation of many fishing target species; illegal,
unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and climate change have become
major threats to aquatic species and ecosystems, in addition to other threats such
as coastal occupation and degradation, habitats loss, eutrophication, increasing
maritime traffic, and invasive alien species (Coll et al. 2010). Consequently, these
and other threats (e.g., marine litter and microplastics) affecting the Mediterranean
system have negative consequences to the coastal populations.
FAO launched in 2013 the Blue Growth Initiative (BGI), which encompasses
capture fisheries, aquaculture, ecosystem services, trade, and social protection.
Based on the principles enshrined in the 1995 FAO Code of Conduct for
808
L. Valdés et al.
disciplines. In addition, higher education is becoming increasingly important for
ocean science institutions in the Alboran Sea.
There is a tremendous opportunity and need for the scientific community in the
Alboran Sea to engage in and develop forward-looking research that has the potential to support new interconnected development pathways, particularly in highly
interlinked areas of the SDGs. Strengthen this international collaboration, and
governance will result in reducing the level of fragmentation by increasing the
coordination and the definition of common agendas, creating critical mass, maximizing efficiency of investments and existing capacities, and creating synergies in
marine and maritime research, technology, and innovation fields (Valdés et al.
2017).
The goal is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the national investments
in research, technology, innovation, related infrastructures, and development of
human capacities. To achieve this goal, it’s necessary to improve the transnational
cooperation and coordination of actions not only at the Mediterranean but also at
pan-European level. This goal should face the societal challenge of having healthy
and productive seas and oceans and to contribute to the European and FAO Blue
Growth Initiative as well as to the UN SDG.
In line with the need to strengthen the collaboration in the region of Alboran, a
recent initiative, the Foro Mar de Alboran (Rueda et al. 2019), was launched as a
collaborative process, recognizing the environmental problems and challenges faced
by fishermen, administrations, scientists, and society in general to the rational use of
the resources of the Alboran Sea. The Foro promotes avoiding fishing discards,
bringing together scientists, fishermen, professors of universities, nutritionists, and
restaurateurs of recognized prestige from the region to exchange knowledge and
seek joint solutions based on science for the future of the Alboran Sea and its people.
24.4 The FAO Blue Growth Initiative for Fisheries
and Aquaculture in the Mediterranean
Different regional and international organizations including FAO have reiterated that
marine pollution; overexploitation of many fishing target species; illegal,
unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and climate change have become
major threats to aquatic species and ecosystems, in addition to other threats such
as coastal occupation and degradation, habitats loss, eutrophication, increasing
maritime traffic, and invasive alien species (Coll et al. 2010). Consequently, these
and other threats (e.g., marine litter and microplastics) affecting the Mediterranean
system have negative consequences to the coastal populations.
FAO launched in 2013 the Blue Growth Initiative (BGI), which encompasses
capture fisheries, aquaculture, ecosystem services, trade, and social protection.
Based on the principles enshrined in the 1995 FAO Code of Conduct for
808
L. Valdés et al.