As the SEADITO project gains momentum, our case study teams are diving deep into stakeholder engagement, and the Greifswald Bay team has been very busy!
Over the past two weeks, we have held two insightful workshops with different stakeholder groups, each offering unique perspectives on the challenges and oportunities surrounding this stunning costal area.
Our first stop: the charming Hanseatic town of Greifswald, where we met with regional planning experts, focusing on tourism, economic development, and water. With up to over two decades of experience, their insights were invaluable in helping us better understand the socio-economic dynamics of the Bay.
Workshop two took us to the Thünen Institute for Baltic Sea Fisheries in Rostock. There, we sat down with social-environmental scientists and a recreational fisheries scientist, having years of experience in how human activities interact with the Bay´s ecosystems.
With both groups, we engaged in deep, thought-provoking discussions which, with their expertise, led to the development of two intricate conceptual maps – visual tools that will help us unpack the complex relationships, values, and tensions present in the area.
Preliminary insights revealed five key challenges:
- Beyond the tourist season: Economic diversification is the key!
- Tourism may bring seasonal income, but it is not enough. With fish stocks in decline, the area needs new, sustainable economic pathways.
- Fisheries = Culture, Identity, and Tourism Appeal
- Fisheries are an important part of the cultural heritage and identity, and draw visitors. This heritage should be recognised and protected, alongside environmental metrics.
- Recreational water use: Regulation starts with awareness
- From kayaking to kite surfing, recreational activities on the Bay are hard to regulate. Raising awareness, sharing knowledge, and fostering voluntary codes of conduct are crucial steps forward. But behavioural change also needs participatory processes and mutual trust.
- Keeping the view: preserving an undeveloped coastline
- Development along the coast must be carefully managed to preserve this unique aesthetic and ecological value.
- Innovation and collaboration
- Adapting to change means building institutional capacity, encouraging innovation, and strengthening co-management bodies. It is really important to blend scientific, local, and institutional knowledge to co-produce adaptive, place-based solutions!
We are now gearing up for our third workshop in mid-June, where we will focus on the water quality of the bay. Once all workshops are complete, we will combine the three conceptual maps into one, identifying overlaps, conflicts, and synergies; and potential missing perspectives.
The ultimate goal? To create a shared, stakeholder-informed vision of the challenges, and desirable solutions, for the future of Greifswald Bay and to integrate this information into the Digital Twin of the Ocean!
Author: Giulia Bellon