of mussel cultivation, supplied authorities with maps and tools to limit regional
stakeholder conflicts, and established an inshore reference station to support the
data assessed offshore. All research undertakings over the entire period were conducted as follow-up projects resulting from addressing the issues of social acceptance, the demand for practical technical solutions and to fill some of the knowledge
gaps in biology, social science and other related topics.
In the following sub-chapters, the central findings of these projects are discussed
in more detail and the development of this contextual knowledge generation over
time is synthesized. This will be done by starting with the potential species and their
respective biological characteristics, which determine their feasibility for offshore
aquaculture in the first place. In the successive sub-chapters, the prospective
technologies to harness their potential as aquaculture products are discussed, as well
as their likely economic potential for this contextual setting in the German Bight.
The chapter closes with an overview over the existing stakeholder characteristics
and their respective attitudes, perceptions and concerns and the respective regulatory framework.
11.2 The Beginning
The feasibility study (Project No. 1) (Buck 2000, 2001, 2002) aimed to ascertain the
economic feasibility of an offshore marine aquaculture structure for breeding of
marine organisms in the North Sea, predominantly in combination with an offshore
wind farm. In the year 2000 several thousand wind-generators were planned for
installation in the North Sea before the end of the decade. However, at that time,
after completion of this feasibility study, no offshore wind farm was in use or in
preparation. The major goal of this combination was to use environmentallyfriendly wind-driven power generation, or so-called renewable energy production,
with the environmental enhancement that aquaculture offers as a very important
opportunity. This feasibility study concentrated on Open Ocean Aquaculture
(OOA) and its multi-use potential with offshore wind farms.
Most countries with access to the sea are engaged in aquaculture. Only rare
cases, for example in developing nations, fundamentals of e.g. technical knowledge, resisting equipment and system design are lacking to successfully research
and implement aquaculture. Although Germany has the above-mentioned factors in
relative abundance, it can be counted with the few developing nations that have not
adopted any form of aquaculture. The reasons for this stagnation are mainly as
follows: Conflicts exist between interested parties on coastal land management
issues. Such parties include commercial and pleasure boat traffic, gravel mining,
marine and local fishing coops, and protected areas, such as national parks.
Problems with regulation and assignment of areas in the North Sea and its
near-shore waters arose due to these conflicts. In addition, complex local hydrodynamic conditions such as large wave heights and strong water currents have
hindered the aquaculture development in Germany.
11 The German Case Study: Pioneer Projects of Aquaculture …
257
stakeholder conflicts, and established an inshore reference station to support the
data assessed offshore. All research undertakings over the entire period were conducted as follow-up projects resulting from addressing the issues of social acceptance, the demand for practical technical solutions and to fill some of the knowledge
gaps in biology, social science and other related topics.
In the following sub-chapters, the central findings of these projects are discussed
in more detail and the development of this contextual knowledge generation over
time is synthesized. This will be done by starting with the potential species and their
respective biological characteristics, which determine their feasibility for offshore
aquaculture in the first place. In the successive sub-chapters, the prospective
technologies to harness their potential as aquaculture products are discussed, as well
as their likely economic potential for this contextual setting in the German Bight.
The chapter closes with an overview over the existing stakeholder characteristics
and their respective attitudes, perceptions and concerns and the respective regulatory framework.
11.2 The Beginning
The feasibility study (Project No. 1) (Buck 2000, 2001, 2002) aimed to ascertain the
economic feasibility of an offshore marine aquaculture structure for breeding of
marine organisms in the North Sea, predominantly in combination with an offshore
wind farm. In the year 2000 several thousand wind-generators were planned for
installation in the North Sea before the end of the decade. However, at that time,
after completion of this feasibility study, no offshore wind farm was in use or in
preparation. The major goal of this combination was to use environmentallyfriendly wind-driven power generation, or so-called renewable energy production,
with the environmental enhancement that aquaculture offers as a very important
opportunity. This feasibility study concentrated on Open Ocean Aquaculture
(OOA) and its multi-use potential with offshore wind farms.
Most countries with access to the sea are engaged in aquaculture. Only rare
cases, for example in developing nations, fundamentals of e.g. technical knowledge, resisting equipment and system design are lacking to successfully research
and implement aquaculture. Although Germany has the above-mentioned factors in
relative abundance, it can be counted with the few developing nations that have not
adopted any form of aquaculture. The reasons for this stagnation are mainly as
follows: Conflicts exist between interested parties on coastal land management
issues. Such parties include commercial and pleasure boat traffic, gravel mining,
marine and local fishing coops, and protected areas, such as national parks.
Problems with regulation and assignment of areas in the North Sea and its
near-shore waters arose due to these conflicts. In addition, complex local hydrodynamic conditions such as large wave heights and strong water currents have
hindered the aquaculture development in Germany.
11 The German Case Study: Pioneer Projects of Aquaculture …
257