In the Mediterranean, the transport sector is developing fast in line with national, regional and international exchange and trade development planning. It is estimated to account for ca. 30% of the final energy consumption in the Mediterranean region. Good regional statistics do no exist on the amount of goods or passengers transported per year. Therefore, measuring the trends usually relies on the energy consumed per transport mode. The Blue Plan statistics show that virtually each transport mode (except rail) is currently increasing over the whole Mediterranean. This is particularly the case of transport by road which increased by 35-49% between 1990 and 2005, by air (70-103%, 1990-2005) and maritime ships (50-58% between1997-2006).
Access and transport impact wetlands in many ways, which are specific to each mode:
Improved access to wetlands may have both positive and negative impacts on use of resources. It increases population flux and potential oversuse and overexploitation of resources. It also helps for better control against poaching and illegal fishing, gathering and irrigation.
The growing inter-continental transport of goods, plants and animals also causes the introduction of numerous exotic species, some of which eventually become pests in wetlands, like the Louisiana crayfish in the northwest Mediterranean.