The European Union must devise an integrated maritime policy, the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs told a conference in Dublin today.
Addressing a conference on the EU Green Paper Towards a Future Maritime Policy for the Union, Joe Borg said such a policy was necessary for Europe to retain its competitive edge against economies outside the EU.
Mr Borg commended the Marine Institute's Sea Changepolicy plan that aims to develop Ireland's marine resources over the next seven years.
Central to the development of the policy was the Galway Declaration, which has been used by the EU to develop the Green Paper. It identifies niche areas for exploitation, shows how research can be turned into income, and maps out ways for the food and industrial activities to grow.
"The European Commission welcomes the Sea Changestrategy's exploration of the marine sector's potential as much more than a source of fish and points towards a wide variety of more market-led and business opportunities," Mr Borg said.
"We applaud the strategy's ambition to make Ireland a world leader in renewable energy, functional foods and health products."