The fishery sector is an integral part of the Baltic Sea coastal regions and their economies. Not all fish stocks are fished within natural limits, and certain commercially important species (e.g. Baltic cod and Baltic white fish) are severely overfished and outside safe biological limits. Existing national and EU fisheries management policies are apparently not effective enough to maintain or even rebuild a balanced stock situation. New fisheries management regulations are urgently needed. They must have a sound scientific and socio-economic basis to meet the needs of both the consumer and the environment and to preserve one of the most vulnerable marine resources. Alternative management schemes such as stocking of young fish are under discussion or in the trial stage. However, a multilateral review and transnational cooperation on aquaculture in the BSR has yet to be established.On global scale, aquaculture continues to expand rapidly.However, the aquaculture sector in the BSR lags behind in this development and still has considerable growth potential. Currently, EU aquaculture output represents approximately 20.3 % of the total EU fisheries production and 2.6% of world aquaculture production (2007). Aquaculture therefore offers attractive regional development opportunities in the BSR, especially in regions affected by decline of capture fishing.The overall objective of AQUAFIMA is to integrate aquaculture and fisheries management towards a sustainable regional development in the BSR, applying an eco-system friendly approach. Specifically, the project will- review current national/EU fishery policies and discuss alternative approaches, such as an area-based fisheries management system, with stakeholders and policy-makers- give new impulses and recommendations for an integrated fisheries management in the BSR,- evaluate the feasibility of area-based management concepts in transnational case studies in lagoons,- evaluate and assess suitable stocking/restocking measures for different fish species,- determine the state of the art in aquaculture and its implementation in fisheries management in the BSR,- develop strategies to utilize fish and aquaculture for regional economic and tourism development and to integrate aquaculture in a sustainable spatial development,- generate skills and implement professional education schemes for Baltic Sea specific aquaculture management,- promote the acceptance for farmed fish and aquaculture among BSR citizens,- put the development of BSR aquaculture into a EU-wide perspective by exchanging knowledge and experience of projects and institutions in the BSR other EU regions.The project brings together 12 partners from 7 countries, representing the political, academic and economic sector. The partnership will be complemented by 21 associated organisations from 8 countries. Achievements: As the aquaculture production in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) is stagnating or even decreasing the AQUAFIMA project supported the aquaculture sector with its activities to disclose its potential and to develop further in the BSR. To achieve this, different target groups (e.g. politicians, research institutions, administrations, environmental associations, students, associations and the general public) were involved in various workshops and seminars on the regional, national or transnational basis during the project lifetime. In the first phase of the project, the partners have laid the ground for preparatory research and data collection with the aim to build up the analytical basis for following project activities. One main outcome of these analytical parts are the policy recommendations for a regional aquaculture-based fisheries management. Here these recommendations which also have been discussed with relevant stakeholders in Brussels are targeted especially to politicians to integrate restocking measures into the Multiannual National Plans of the Member States in 2014-2020. Besides giving impulses to the political level the project has also worked on aspects to highlight the potential of the aquaculture industry connected to the regional development. Here the aquaculture sector can also bring an economic value to coastal regions. Therefore, the project has: - Worked out recommendations for the branding and promotion of aquaculture products for aquaculture and the industry - Disclosed the employment potential for the aquaculture sector in specific regions - Summarised the role of aquaculture in fish supply chains around different Baltic States - Published a manual for the infrastructure and planning needs for aquaculture facilities to assist decision makers and planning authorities In addition, the project achieved to inform the general public in different publications (e.g. Coastal and Marine; Meer & Küste) about aquaculture topics. Moreover, also an exhibition 'Regional Fish by Aquaculture' was developed and shown in Lithuania and Germany. The exhibition was accompined by information material. In close connection to the 'awarness rising' topic the AQUAFIMA project worked also to strengthen the education in the field of aquaculture in order to guarantee the qualification of people for the aquaculture industry. Therefore, a summer school was organised to teach students about relevant aquaculture topics in the Baltic Sea Region.The partnership worked also on a concept for an international master programme that relies on the bachelor education at the various universities and enables students to study on a self-instruction basis due to e-learning courses. Besides the courses for students also in-services courses for organisations and associations dealing with aquaculture were successfully offered in Estonia and Germany. The involved universities also agreed to cooperate concerning 'education' beyond the project.