Sustainable management model for Mediterranean Artisanal Salinas

Mediterranean salinas are today facing many pressures and threats due to change of social values and economic stresses. The fragile socioeconomic balance is linked to a market that is subject to competition from cheaper land-produced salt and the world trade. With most of pressures on Mediterranean coastal zones, improve management of the artisanal systems for the extraction of salt can be an opportunity to harmonize coastal sustainable management and socioeconomic benefits for the regional economy, the scientific community and the general public. Traditional saline has become, over the centuries, a singular coastal ecosystem, demonstrating the relationships between man and nature, through cultural modes that have allowed its exploitation, as well as the biodiversity occurring within. It is, however, possible to generate revenue from salinas at several levels, not merely in terms of good quality salt production, but also by obtaining other products that can be commercialized. In this context, promote and strength Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and MSME aggregation forms is an important way to tackle with pressures, by generating employment at the same time that environmental quality and ecosystems are preserved and restored to ensure social and ecological sustainability.