particular use and other areas where certain uses are prohibited (Schultz-Zehden
and Gee 2013, Jay and Gee 2014). As MSP develops from isolated initiatives and
projects into statutory plans, broad strategic planning and the concept of co-location
or multiple-uses of marine offshore areas are set to become more and more significant (Buck et al. 2004).
6.2 Potential Benefits of MSP to Aquaculture
Effective spatial management is being recognized as one avenue for advancing
sustainable aquaculture development worldwide. Europe, keen to encourage growth
in the aquaculture sector, has published Strategic Guidelines that identify improved
access to space as one of four priority areas to be tackled (EPC 2014b). In the Baltic
region, even countries without existing aquaculture facilities are expected to consider
future operations as part of their emerging marine spatial plans (project 2013). The
Finnish regional fisheries administration prepared regional aquaculture site selection
plans that identify offshore areas where existing production can be concentrated and
new production begun, using a participative process and Geographic Information
System (GIS) mapping as a supporting tool (Olofsson and Andersson 2014).
Although aquaculture is usually mentioned in reports on Integrated Coastal Zone
Management (ICZM) and MSP, they rarely focus specifically on aquaculture siting
because of their multiple use orientation (Olofsson and Andersson 2014). The
English East Inshore and East Offshore Marine Plans (Government 2014) do
identify a range of “optimum sites of aquaculture potential” where other uses would
be restricted to preserve the potential for aquaculture development. In Germany, the
2014 draft spatial plan for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania also calls for “spatially
compatible” siting of aquaculture operations to minimize environmental impacts
(MEIL; Ministerium für Energie 2014).
After initial hesitation in many countries, fisheries and aquaculture stakeholders
are now becoming actively engaged in MSP to secure the most suitable sites for
their activities (Jentoft and Knol 2014). MSP is also seen as a possible means of
resolving animal welfare issues (e.g. assessing maximum carrying capacities)
which can help improve public acceptance of the sector (Bryde 2011). These
considerations apply not only to existing types of aquaculture operations, but also to
future trends such as large offshore installations, potentially combined with offshore
wind farming, and specialized production, such as sturgeon, feed production,
nutrient removal, and energy production from micro and macro algae (Wenblad
2014). While it could be argued that other place-based approaches to aquaculture
siting and management might deliver similar benefits, statutory MSP brings certain
strategic advantages.
To start, MSP brings a more coordinated approach to overall sea use, promising
greater accountability and transparency of decision-making by including a wide
range of stakeholders from all sectors. It may also increase the effectiveness
of investments, reduce duplication of effort, and speed up decision-making
6 Aquaculture Site-Selection and Marine Spatial Planning …
133
and Gee 2013, Jay and Gee 2014). As MSP develops from isolated initiatives and
projects into statutory plans, broad strategic planning and the concept of co-location
or multiple-uses of marine offshore areas are set to become more and more significant (Buck et al. 2004).
6.2 Potential Benefits of MSP to Aquaculture
Effective spatial management is being recognized as one avenue for advancing
sustainable aquaculture development worldwide. Europe, keen to encourage growth
in the aquaculture sector, has published Strategic Guidelines that identify improved
access to space as one of four priority areas to be tackled (EPC 2014b). In the Baltic
region, even countries without existing aquaculture facilities are expected to consider
future operations as part of their emerging marine spatial plans (project 2013). The
Finnish regional fisheries administration prepared regional aquaculture site selection
plans that identify offshore areas where existing production can be concentrated and
new production begun, using a participative process and Geographic Information
System (GIS) mapping as a supporting tool (Olofsson and Andersson 2014).
Although aquaculture is usually mentioned in reports on Integrated Coastal Zone
Management (ICZM) and MSP, they rarely focus specifically on aquaculture siting
because of their multiple use orientation (Olofsson and Andersson 2014). The
English East Inshore and East Offshore Marine Plans (Government 2014) do
identify a range of “optimum sites of aquaculture potential” where other uses would
be restricted to preserve the potential for aquaculture development. In Germany, the
2014 draft spatial plan for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania also calls for “spatially
compatible” siting of aquaculture operations to minimize environmental impacts
(MEIL; Ministerium für Energie 2014).
After initial hesitation in many countries, fisheries and aquaculture stakeholders
are now becoming actively engaged in MSP to secure the most suitable sites for
their activities (Jentoft and Knol 2014). MSP is also seen as a possible means of
resolving animal welfare issues (e.g. assessing maximum carrying capacities)
which can help improve public acceptance of the sector (Bryde 2011). These
considerations apply not only to existing types of aquaculture operations, but also to
future trends such as large offshore installations, potentially combined with offshore
wind farming, and specialized production, such as sturgeon, feed production,
nutrient removal, and energy production from micro and macro algae (Wenblad
2014). While it could be argued that other place-based approaches to aquaculture
siting and management might deliver similar benefits, statutory MSP brings certain
strategic advantages.
To start, MSP brings a more coordinated approach to overall sea use, promising
greater accountability and transparency of decision-making by including a wide
range of stakeholders from all sectors. It may also increase the effectiveness
of investments, reduce duplication of effort, and speed up decision-making
6 Aquaculture Site-Selection and Marine Spatial Planning …
133