(i.e. development of Pesca tourism,
13 aquaculture on land
14 ), which could provide a
potentially inspiring operational framework for the development of coastal-rural
synergies. Nevertheless, many initiatives, by working on sustainable tourism, natural
conservation and water issues, risk management and local redevelopment, unwittingly create some form of land-sea synergies and coastal-rural collaborations (see
further details in Akinsete et al., COASTAL deliverable D09). Following the
identification and analysis of the examples of best practice, key business opportunities, lessons learned and policy recommendations are highlighted below.
Combined activities are one of the best examples on how to create synergies
between land and sea: Fishery and tourism are so far the best example of successful
combined activities in Europe,
15 replicable across the continent with the proper
legislative adaptation. Inviting tourists on fishing boats at sea, while developing
fish markets and valorizing fishing culture and heritage on land, fosters sustainable
fishing practices and at the same time raises awareness of consumers for a responsible consumption of sea products. These land-sea synergies aid in the protection of
the resource at sea while sustaining the entire fishing community on land. Other
combined activities can be envisaged; however, despite extensive research and
promising results (e.g. EU MERMAID, H2OCEAN and TROPOS projects for
multi-use of offshore platforms, COEXIST
16 and MUSE
17 projects for combined
activities at sea (i.e. between fishery and aquaculture; energy production and aquaculture or fishery; aquaculture and environmental protection; tourism, fishery and
environmental protection)), the possibility of other combined activities at sea is still
in the prototype stage in most cases and deeply dependant on the local context and
legislations.
Ecotourism and agro-tourism based on local natural and cultural heritage can also
create coastal-rural collaboration and land-sea synergies. Economic activities, population and tourists are concentrated in the coastal area, while the rural hinterland is
often neglected but preserved from landscape degradation which in turns makes it
attractive for alternative forms of tourism. In collaboration with coastal stakeholders,
ecotourism and agro-tourism can create new economic opportunities in rural hinterland. It can also be used as a tool for reducing touristic pressure on the seaside area
and extending the touristic season of a coastal-rural region, as such beneficial for
both areas and creating land-sea synergies. In the Algarve region (Portugal), local
initiatives promote an alternative tourism based on local products and heritage
13 Combined activity of tourism and fishery, initially developed in Italy and now spreading in other
Mediterranean countries (France, Spain) – cf. TourismMed interreg project https://tourismed.
interreg-med.eu/
14 Cf. Coastal Laboratory in the Netherlands – https://www.kustlaboratorium.nl/aquacultuur
15 See examples of successful implementation of tourism-fishery combined activities in https://
webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/cms/farnet/files/documents/FARNET_Fisheries_and_Tourism-9_EN.
pdf.
16 http://www.coexistproject.eu/coexist-results/coexist-case-studies
17 https://muses-project.com/
120
E. Akinsete et al.
13 aquaculture on land
14 ), which could provide a
potentially inspiring operational framework for the development of coastal-rural
synergies. Nevertheless, many initiatives, by working on sustainable tourism, natural
conservation and water issues, risk management and local redevelopment, unwittingly create some form of land-sea synergies and coastal-rural collaborations (see
further details in Akinsete et al., COASTAL deliverable D09). Following the
identification and analysis of the examples of best practice, key business opportunities, lessons learned and policy recommendations are highlighted below.
Combined activities are one of the best examples on how to create synergies
between land and sea: Fishery and tourism are so far the best example of successful
combined activities in Europe,
15 replicable across the continent with the proper
legislative adaptation. Inviting tourists on fishing boats at sea, while developing
fish markets and valorizing fishing culture and heritage on land, fosters sustainable
fishing practices and at the same time raises awareness of consumers for a responsible consumption of sea products. These land-sea synergies aid in the protection of
the resource at sea while sustaining the entire fishing community on land. Other
combined activities can be envisaged; however, despite extensive research and
promising results (e.g. EU MERMAID, H2OCEAN and TROPOS projects for
multi-use of offshore platforms, COEXIST
16 and MUSE
17 projects for combined
activities at sea (i.e. between fishery and aquaculture; energy production and aquaculture or fishery; aquaculture and environmental protection; tourism, fishery and
environmental protection)), the possibility of other combined activities at sea is still
in the prototype stage in most cases and deeply dependant on the local context and
legislations.
Ecotourism and agro-tourism based on local natural and cultural heritage can also
create coastal-rural collaboration and land-sea synergies. Economic activities, population and tourists are concentrated in the coastal area, while the rural hinterland is
often neglected but preserved from landscape degradation which in turns makes it
attractive for alternative forms of tourism. In collaboration with coastal stakeholders,
ecotourism and agro-tourism can create new economic opportunities in rural hinterland. It can also be used as a tool for reducing touristic pressure on the seaside area
and extending the touristic season of a coastal-rural region, as such beneficial for
both areas and creating land-sea synergies. In the Algarve region (Portugal), local
initiatives promote an alternative tourism based on local products and heritage
13 Combined activity of tourism and fishery, initially developed in Italy and now spreading in other
Mediterranean countries (France, Spain) – cf. TourismMed interreg project https://tourismed.
interreg-med.eu/
14 Cf. Coastal Laboratory in the Netherlands – https://www.kustlaboratorium.nl/aquacultuur
15 See examples of successful implementation of tourism-fishery combined activities in https://
webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/cms/farnet/files/documents/FARNET_Fisheries_and_Tourism-9_EN.
pdf.
16 http://www.coexistproject.eu/coexist-results/coexist-case-studies
17 https://muses-project.com/
120
E. Akinsete et al.