Blue Growth and the relationship between ecosystem services and human activities: The Salento artisanal fisheries case study

This paper proposes a tool for the management of marine and coastal areas based on the ecosystem service framework and the Bayesian network approach. The participative methodology used makes this tool very suitable for addressing issues related to community-led coastal development and Blue Growth. The Salento (Italy) artisanal fisheries case study is used to test the usefulness of our approach. Salento is characterized by declining fisheries and increasing tourism development. Cause-effect relationships between human activities and ecosystem services are modeled to show the differences in stakeholder behavior under different scenarios. Results indicate that increasing tourist flow and related infrastructure are not perceived as threats to the local ecosystem equilibrium, but the problem of water quality should be carefully considered to prevent future negative feedback. The model can be used as a methodological guide by local public authorities as well as economic and civil society groups. It may be particularly useful for the Fisheries Local Action Groups, which have been explicitly created to design and implement bottom-up strategies that fit their regions' needs to increase economic, social, and environmental welfare.