Sustainability and maritime strategic planning wrap up the 12th Nautical Congress

Sustainability in nautical-sports facilities and the challenges and opportunities for recreational boating within the framework of the country's maritime strategic planning were the focus of discussion on the second and final day of the 12th Nautical Congress organized by ANEN in Málaga.

The sustainability of nautical-sports facilities was the theme of the first roundtable of the day moderated by the General Director of ANEN, Jordi Carrasco, in which participated the General Director of the Andalusian Ports Agency, Ignacio Álvarez-Ossorio; the President of Ports of Galicia, José Antonio Álvarez; the President of ADEAC-Blue Flag, José Palacios; the Manager of Club Náutico Altea, Joaquim Such and Ignacio Javier del Río, partner at Ocean Capital Partners (OCP).

Álvarez-Ossorio highlighted the projects they are working on in Andalusia regarding the integration of port and society, sustainability, and the promotion of economic sectors. He also briefly touched on the issue of port concessions, "the concession of ports cannot be an auction," he noted, adding that they are working to ensure that the technical offer weighs more than the economic offer in the tender documents. On his part, the President of Ports of Galicia emphasized the importance of public-private collaboration to carry out port facility improvement projects across Spain.

During the roundtable, the President of Blue Flag reminded the audience of some of the criteria that must be met to receive this certification and awarded this distinction to eleven clubs and marinas, including Alcudiamar and Club de Vela Puerto de Andratx, which renew their Blue Flag recognition for another year.

Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, President of the Public Entity Puertos del Estado; Benito Núñez Quintanilla, Secretary General of Air and Maritime Transport, and Pilar Tejo, Managing Partner of Teirlog Engineering, closed the congress with a roundtable titled 'Recreational boating in the framework of the Maritime Strategy of Spain 2024-2050'.

Tejo highlighted that, "from the beginning, it was clear that recreational boating had to be included in our country's maritime strategy." At this point, she emphasized the importance of recreational boating in the coastal tourism sector, in which Spain is a leader at the European level. "It is a strategic sector, a driving force with enormous relevance for our economy and employment, but it is still not where it belongs, with a ratio of boats much below its potential. It has great growth potential that our Maritime Strategy must help develop," she insisted.

"The Maritime Strategy is a roadmap and a lever of political action, which must be specified in concrete initiatives," highlighted Núñez Quintanilla, who recognizes that "the nautical sector needs specific treatment tailored to its needs."

Rodríguez Dapena added that "the Strategy is necessary in itself, it sets a course to follow shared by the Administration that promotes it and the rest of the involved administrations, according to which we must all work." And he reminded of the social dimension of sports boating. "Behind sports boating, there are more than 100,000 jobs, making it a strategic segment," highlighted Rodríguez Dapena, noting that "a third of the berths in Spain are within a port of general interest, and the figure reaches 50% in the segment of large lengths."

"Any value of a port related to this social investment has to do with this segment: whether we talk about sport, historical-cultural heritage, training associated with the sea, or even city-port integration projects, sports boating has much to contribute," he assured.

Núñez Quintanilla emphasized that "this strategy has to make the economy and ultimately promote the economic development of the country" and trusted its soon elevation to the Council of Ministers, along with the Ports Law, whose processing in Parliament will begin soon and "includes elements that appear in the Strategy, starting with the obligation to develop the Strategy itself."

Finally, the 12th Nautical Congress of ANEN was closed with closing remarks by Benito Núñez Quintanilla, Secretary General of Air and Maritime Transport, who has participated in all 12 editions of this event. "This Congress is a relevant forum for debate for administrations and stakeholders and contributes to unity in a sector that requires a strategy that recognizes its importance and safeguards its development. Thanks to these types of events, the sector has advanced greatly and will continue to grow more and faster, contributing to generating wealth, employment, and activity in our country," he concluded.