{"id":552,"date":"2019-01-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-15T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/blue-growth\/552\/"},"modified":"2021-01-19T12:13:29","modified_gmt":"2021-01-19T12:13:29","slug":"blue-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/blue-growth\/552\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue growth: remote monitoring and energy for fish farms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Smalle Technologies has developed a range of smart, environmentally friendly products to boost sustainability in the blue growth sectors of aquaculture and offshore energy.<\/h2>\n

As defined by the European Commission, blue growth is the long term strategy to support sustainable growth in the marine and maritime sectors as a whole. This definition poses a requirement that both the economic growth, and also the sustainable and inclusive dimension of the strategies are to be adopted. Thus, it is essential to focus on commercial exploitation of the European seas, by means that can preserve the health of the marine environment.<\/p>\n

According to figures provided by the EU, Europe\u2019s maritime sector employs an estimate of 3.5 million people into jobs and generates more than \u20ac500 billion annually; it is estimated that output can be doubled by 2030. Moreover, the blue sector presents a potential to create many more jobs in the following years. The EU government has emphasised that it should not miss this opportunity.<\/p>\n

One of the components of the EU strategy for the blue growth is the development of sectors which have a high potential for sustainable jobs and growth \u2013 such as aquaculture and ocean energy.<\/p>\n

Aquaculture and marine energy as key sectors in the blue growth strategy<\/h3>\n

Aquaculture presents a worldwide growth rate of around 6 per cent a year, this has been consistent in the last decade, while the equivalent parameter for the harvesting of wild fish has been close to zero per cent for the same period. Nowadays, aquaculture represents more than 50 per cent of the worldwide production of seafood. However, this rate is lower for the European Union \u2013 about 20 per cent \u2013 and EU\u2019s aquaculture output has been more or less the same in volume since 2000. The efforts within EU aquaculture seems to have been more focused on reaching high quality, sustainable and consumer protected standards, and providing added value to EU production, rather than to increase the production volume.<\/p>\n

The EU aims to promote the blue growth and aquaculture sector using four factors:<\/p>\n