Maritime Policy for Israel’s Mediterranean Waters.

This Maritime Policy for Israel’s Mediterranean Waters is a nationwide sectoral document that outlines guidelines for regulating maritime space in a thoughtful, efficient, balanced, and sustainable manner, detailing the measures for anchoring and implementing the policy. It has been developed by the Planning Administration, responsible for determining the national planning policy and the official representative of the State of Israel in leading this policy, both internationally, in cooperation with the European Union, and dialogue with the neighboring Mediterranean nations. The aims of the policy document are (i) to create a comprehensive administrative and planning framework for Israel's maritime space in the Mediterranean Sea, taking into consideration the dynamics of the marine environment; (ii) to enable the realization of the economic potential whilst protecting and conserving its natural value and intrinsic heritage; (iii) to define a national framework and the guidelines for identifying the conditions required for the development of blue growth of marine industries, while ensuring environmental monitoring and auditing and maintaining the health of the marine natural system; (iv) to promote development and innovation at sea and to increase the certainty of investments in maritime space. This is accomplished through (i) defining regulations for activities; (ii) improving coordination; (iii) reducing spatial conflicts; (iv) establishing a precise and professional management structure. Combined, these objectives create the conditions for developing existing industries and new enterprises.
The basic principles in the planning and management of maritime space are (i) multiple uses of space, utilizing a multi-purpose use of the space and overlap users; (ii) precautionary principle to prevent or reduce activity even when the information gaps do not allow for an accurate assessment of the extent of the damage; (iii) sustainable economic development; (iv) planning and management based on the needs of ecosystems; (v) building with nature, to improve and enhance the marine ecosystem by creating new or rehabilitating disturbed habitats; (vi) maritime safety; (vii) raising awareness of the sea; (viii) the sea as a public space and asset; (ix) resilience, initiative, and ongoing study.
The Policy deals with the following issues (i) management of the maritime space, including marine planning, national monitoring, management and information accessibility, professional training, and blue growth; (ii) activities in maritime space, such as security, shipping and commerce, leisure and recreation, education, marine sports, and fishing; (iii) development of maritime space, concerning infrastructure, marine and coastal structures, aquaculture, and hydro-carbon production; (iv) protection of environment and natural resources, with regard to nature conservation, national reserves, antiquities and heritage, sediment resources, sea pollution and its prevention.
As it concerns fishing activities, the document's targets are to ensure the continuance of the fisheries, reduce the threats to the marine ecosystem resulting from fishing activities, and reduce conflicts between fishing and other maritime activities. While about the aquaculture sector, Israel aims to (i) promote the aquaculture industry in the context of global and local processes whereby food production on land may reach the limit of its capacity and fisheries will not be able to meet rising demand; (ii) assign areas to aquaculture; (iii) reduce the environmental footprint of the industry and minimize negative external environmental costs; (iv) develop technologies for storm resistance; (v) limit aquaculture to native species, also developing and adapting to aquaculture new (native or cosmopolitan) species found naturally in the Mediterranean to diversify the product portfolio of aquaculture to the consumer while maintaining Mediterranean populations; (vi) cease extracting mullet fingerlings from river funnels; (vii) prepare detailed plans for aquaculture farm.