Jems
The BLUECONNECT project presented the results of blue growth mapping in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro at conference in last week of May, in Buna near Mostar. Stakeholders from the blue economy—fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, renewable energy, were introduced to EU trends, opportunities, and challenges.
Croatia employs 8% of its workforce in blue growth sector and with 6235 active vessels has the largest but also outdated fishing fleet in the Adriatic, facing overfishing risks and labor shortages. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s strengths lie in circular economy, tourism, trout farming, and inland renewable energy while Montenegro shows the most promise in floating wind farms, sustainable year-round tourism, and innovative shipbuilding.
One of the key conclusions of the event was that beside great potential supported by the Adriatic’s rich biodiversity, sustainable blue growth requires stronger regional business ties and better collaboration between science and industry.
BLUECONNECT also introduced an early version of its IT platform for a future regional blue growth cluster. A key feature is a marketplace offering real-time info on fish species, origin, and catch dates, connecting producers and consumers more directly and transparently.