This book discusses the Blue Economy: Concepts, Practices, and Applications in Agribusiness and Marine Development. It covers the basic concepts and principles of the blue economy, marine potential and resources, ecotourism and coastal-based industries, economic empowerment of coastal communities, blue economy business and investment models, global challenges and climate change, and future blue economy policy directions and roadmaps.
The sea is more than just a stretch of water separating land. It is a living system that has supported human civilization long before the word “economy” was even known. Fishermen off the coast of Java, seaweed farmers in Sulawesi, shrimp farmers in Kalimantan—they are all actors in an economic ecosystem far larger than we often imagine.
However, over the past few decades, humanity’s relationship with the ocean has transformed into one of unbridled exploitation. Overfishing, pollution, coastal sedimentation, and even coral reef destruction have eroded the ecological foundations upon which billions of people depend. This is the starting point for why the Blue Economy concept is relevant and urgent: not just as an academic concept, but as a concrete framework for transforming the way we manage the ocean.