Fostering the Development of Western Black Sea Aquaculture: A Scientific Case Study for Finfish Cage Farming Allocated Zone Designation

Mariculture offers enormous potential for providing sustainable food, playing a key role in achieving nutrition security, employment, and Blue Growth. This is particularly true geographical areas where the dependence of local economies on fishery products high yet access to landings hindered by environmental drawbacks. One such area represented Black Sea, which different degrees suitability aquaculture development. While southern eastern shores are sheltered enough allow development large activities, north-western shoreline characterized wide fluctuations strong influence Danube. study aimed at investigating selected Romanian coast (Mangalia) finfish cage farming adapting an internationally endorsed methodology determining its Degree Compatibility (DC). The expansion depends availability space, so designating Allocated Zones Aquaculture (AZAs) essential. result obtained (DC = 80) indicates that Mangalia suitable activities: there no major interference with other uses maritime conflicts nature conservation, conditions appropriate fish culture floating cages. novel information provided this can be building block authorities settle governance gap has far impeded marine Romania. At larger scale, serve as good practice example regional Sea level.