Coasts in the Mediterranean

The coasts of the Mediterranean Sea are the stuff of dreams. Stretching for 46,000 kilometres, they attract some 220 million tourists every year - a figure expected to swell to 350 million by 2050. Drawn by white sandy beaches and rolling dunes, lush coastal forest and sparkling waters, visitors to the Mediterranean - as well as its inhabitants - know they are onto a good thing.

These coastlines are home to rare marine species like the 100-million year old loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) which nests on Mediterranean beaches, and the endemic sea-grass Posidonia (Posidonia oceanica) which plays a crucial role in coastal protection by acting as a buffer to currents and waves.

The valuable resources of the Mediterranean Sea improve local people’s lives. Apart from the revenue and employment generated by tourism activities, around 1.5 million tonnes of fish are caught annually from the waters of the Mediterranean - feeding many and providing a source of income and jobs to many more.

Resources at risk
But severe overfishing is putting coastal and marine species and habitats at risk. For example, every year more than 60,000 marine turtles are caught in fishing gear - and up to 50% of these do not survive.

Meanwhile the pressures of coastal development, growing urbanisation, mass tourism, poor waste treatment, overfishing, overuse of freshwater resources, and pollution from maritime traffic, are also putting Mediterranean coasts in serious peril.

Sustainable coastal development
WWF is encouraging a longer term vision and a new approach to coastal management in the Mediterranean.

Working together with local communities, fishermen, foresters, tourism operators and those who manage the coasts, WWF advocates sustainable coastal development - for the benefit of nature as well as the people that rely on its resources, for generations to come.