Sustainability and blue economy, all in Livorno’s first sea biennale

Brussels – The sea as an opportunity for economic growth and a response to the climate change challenge, as well as, in the case of the city, revitalising the local reality: Livorno puts “its” sea at the centre of the political agenda, with the first biennale dedicated to the theme, scheduled from May 14 to 17, 2025. The event’s common thread is how to effectively address emerging critical issues for coastal areas and make the relationship between man, sea, and water more sustainable, an idea brought to the attention of community institutions by the mayor of Livorno, Luca Salvetti, during his institutional visits. 

One of the objectives is to foster the creation of communication channels that will improve policies affecting the coast and the sea, starting from the political news these days, namely the European Commission’s proposal to reduce the quota of fish to be caught. “Fishing is part of the blue economy, and for a region like Tuscany, fishing is a driving sector,” points out Salvetti against the initiatives taken. “We must listen to those who work at sea, the fishermen’s cooperatives and the territory companies.” Therefore, the theme of involvement. Through the creation of all different thematic areas on the seafront (theatre, research, sports, art, expo, science), the first biennale of the sea—which is intended to be a permanent fixture—the aim is to get people to fully understand the importance of the sea, and draw attention to the impact of climate change—the storm surges, the deterioration of habitats, the subtle balance that binds the two different worlds. “The thin blue line represents that indefinite boundary where the land meets the sea, a point of contact rich in meaning. It is both a threshold of access and a frontier to be protected,” reads the festival’s institutional brochure.

A particular feature of this initiative is the recovery of spaces that have fallen into disuse. The old ATL shipyards have been reclaimed and transformed into Creative Hangars, pavilions for reflection, projects, and debates on the many issues related to the blue economy. From Brussels, Salvetti returns with the support of part of the European Parliament. Dario Nardella and Giuseppe Lupo (PD/S&D) call the first sea bienniale an “ambitious project” for which “full cooperation” is guaranteed.