Media Releases

Governments around the world are developing road maps for the so-called ‘Blue Economy’ -- one that strikes a balance between being environmentally sustainable, socially equitable and economically profitable when it comes to ocean industries.

The pursuit is becoming increasingly important for maritime nations that want to maintain the lucrative yields from marine resources, such as fisheries, eco-tourism and wind energy, while protecting ocean health.

Researchers, however, suggest in a new paper that in order to achieve a sound and successful ‘Blue Economy,’ policymakers must consider “enabling” conditions, such as national stability, corruption, gender equality, biodiversity and human rights, rather than just the resources available for development.

The Nature study, supported by the Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus Center, scores criteria across five global regions: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. It identifies the areas of investment and research necessary to develop ocean resources in a manner that is socially equitable, environmentally sustainable and economically viable.

Dr. Wilf Swartz, a research associate in Dalhousie University’s Marine Affairs Program, co-authored the study that cautions against minimizing the societal objectives of the ‘Blue Economy’ in favour of maximizing the economic benefits of ocean industries.

Dr. Swartz is available to discuss the report’s findings and their relevance as Canada develops its own national Blue Economy Strategy. Please respect the embargo and refrain from publishing until it lifts on March 17, 2021.

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Media contact:
Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Dalhousie University
Cell: 1-902-220-0491
Email: alison.auld@dal.ca