Italia-Croatia

About

Traditional fisheries in the Adriatic are under increasing pressure from economic decline and demographic shrinkage. Pesca-tourism—where small-scale fishers diversify their income by hosting tourists—offers a sustainable solution for local development and cultural preservation. However, the sector remains fragmented due to divergent legal frameworks and regulatory bottlenecks between Italy and Croatia. PESTOUR addresses these barriers to unlock the potential of pesca-tourism as a resilient economic driver for coastal and island communities.
The project’s innovation lies in constructing a common methodological framework that currently does not exist in the region. Key activities include a comprehensive comparative legal analysis to identify regulatory gaps, followed by a series of capacity-building workshops and transnational forums. These efforts aim to harmonise procedures and foster strategic alignment between local authorities, fishers, and tourism operators, ensuring that pesca-tourism can scale effectively across borders.
By combining field studies with participatory policy analysis, PESTOUR fosters mutual learning and institutional cooperation. This cross-border approach is essential to overcome fragmentation and establish a unified model for Adriatic coastal development. The resulting framework provides a replicable roadmap for other EU coastal regions seeking to empower local actors and preserve maritime heritage through inclusive innovation.