As the Black Sea faces mounting environmental pressures alongside growing economic opportunity, the concept of a sustainable blue economy has moved from long-term aspiration to immediate necessity. Climate change, marine pollution, biodiversity loss, and fragmented regional governance are testing the resilience of coastal communities, ports, and marine industries across the basin.

In an interview with The Caspian Post, Recep İlhan Yıldız, Secretary General of the Blue Economy Summit Organizing Committee, explains why the Blue Economy Summit Black Sea comes at a pivotal moment. He outlines the region’s unique strengths, the structural and financial barriers holding back sustainable development, and the urgent need for climate-resilient coastal planning. Yıldız also highlights the growing role of blue finance and entrepreneurship, and shares a clear vision for what success in the Black Sea blue economy should look like by 2030.

- Why is the Blue Economy Summit Black Sea so important at this moment?

- Today, the Black Sea is facing serious environmental pressures while at the same time offering strong economic opportunities. Climate change, marine pollution, biodiversity loss, and regional uncertainties have become shared challenges for all countries bordering the Black Sea. At the same time, there remains significant untapped potential in areas such as maritime transport, ports, yacht marinas, and cruise tourism.

This is precisely why the Blue Economy Summit Black Sea is taking place at a critical moment. The summit aims to go beyond declarations of intent and focus on concrete projects, investment opportunities, and long-term partnerships. We see this summit as a turning point for the sustainable future of the Black Sea.

- What makes the Black Sea’s blue economy potential unique?

- The Black Sea’s uniqueness lies in its strategic position between Europe and Asia and in the fact that multiple countries share the same marine ecosystem. This creates a broad and diverse blue economy landscape, ranging from sustainable fisheries and aquaculture to maritime transport, smart ports, yacht marinas, and cruise tourism.

From a marine tourism perspective in particular, the Black Sea holds strong growth potential. Yacht tourism, modern marinas, and environmentally responsible cruise routes could become key drivers of regional economic development if supported by the right planning and investment.

- Despite this potential, what are the main barriers to sustainable development in the region?

- The primary challenge is fragmented governance and insufficient regional coordination. There is a lack of a shared vision and integrated planning among ports, marinas, and cruise destinations. In addition, common scientific data infrastructure and environmental monitoring systems remain inadequate.

Another major barrier is access to finance. SMEs, tourism entrepreneurs, and marina operators in particular need long-term and accessible financing mechanisms to implement sustainable blue economy projects.

- How urgent is climate change for Black Sea coastal areas?

- Climate change is no longer a future risk for the Black Sea-it is a present reality. Sea-level rise, coastal erosion, flooding, and extreme weather events pose direct threats not only to coastal communities but also to ports, yacht marinas, and cruise terminals.

For this reason, our priorities include expanding Integrated Coastal Zone Management approaches, strengthening early warning and environmental monitoring systems, and protecting coastal ecosystems through nature-based solutions. At the same time, port, marina, and cruise infrastructure must be redesigned to be resilient to climate change.

- What role do blue finance and entrepreneurship play in this transformation?

- Blue finance is one of the most critical tools for turning sustainability goals into real projects. In areas such as green ports, environmentally friendly marinas, and low-emission cruise tourism, cooperation between public funds, development banks, and private investors is essential.

Entrepreneurship is the engine of this transformation. Start-ups and innovative SMEs developing smart marina management systems, clean port technologies, digital cruise services, and environmental monitoring solutions are creating both environmental and economic value. As a summit, our goal is to connect these entrepreneurs with investors and help scale their projects.

- By 2030, how do you define success for the Black Sea blue economy?

- By 2030, we define success as a strong and resilient Black Sea blue economy where economic growth and environmental protection are balanced, and where ports, yacht marinas, and cruise tourism are fully integrated in a sustainable manner.

We aim to measure this success through tangible indicators such as reduced pollution levels, increased marine tourism revenues, job creation, stronger regional cooperation, and improved well-being for coastal communities. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that the Black Sea becomes both a protected and a productive sea.