3 Aquaculture and Coastal Space Management
107
3.7 Solutions for Development of Aquaculture
in the Coastal Zone
3.7.1 Effective Integration with Other Coastal Users
Effective “ecological” integration of aquaculture with other users of the coastal
area requires development and implementation of adequate regulatory systems,
including regulation of nutrient loading and adverse impacts on mobile and nonmobile flora and fauna in the vicinity of farms. Stead et al. (2002) argue for more
effective Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and better use of new
technologies, such as geographical information systems (GIS; see section 3.2), by
coastal planners and managers to achieve this. Integration into the social and economic aspects of use of the coastal zone may require a different approach; one that
must be industry-led. Staresinic and Popovi (2004) argue that aquaculture and
tourism have solid collaborative potential in certain areas, in particular regarding
the consumption of seafood by tourists. Strong leadership from within the industries that use the coastal zone is required to drive open collaboration on the use of
space and environmental issues between the two sectors.
Political decisions to create space for aquaculture in areas with suitable environmental characteristics may be the only route to allocate space in areas where
user conflicts are too extensive to allow new sites for aquaculture. As an example,
we can present an initiative undertaken in the Murcia region of Spain, where the
local authority decided to produce a regional plan for aquaculture development.
After consulting with all involved sectors (tourism, environment, agriculture,
navy, transport) and asking them to produce spatial information of their coastal
uses and to indicate where aquaculture could subsequently develop, no unused
portion of coastal space was identified. Thereafter, the planning process stalled at
this stage for 2 years. Finally, new aquaculture farms were concentrated in an offshore area and only after considerable political support for a national aquaculture
development plan (IUCN 2004).
3.7.2 Move Offshore or Submerge
Offshore aquaculture has been touted as a solution to both increasing the production of seafood and reducing the need for positioning aquaculture in coastal waters
(e.g., Marra 2005). While competition for offshore space is far reduced, the costs
of offshore aquaculture, both human and economic, are likely to be higher than
inshore operations and thus only very large farms may be feasible and competitive
(Ryan 2004). Until several technological and operational advances are made and
offshore aquaculture can compete economically with current inshore operations, in
the medium term (next 10–20 years), it is unlikely that a major proportion of the
aquaculture industry will move to truly offshore locations.
107
3.7 Solutions for Development of Aquaculture
in the Coastal Zone
3.7.1 Effective Integration with Other Coastal Users
Effective “ecological” integration of aquaculture with other users of the coastal
area requires development and implementation of adequate regulatory systems,
including regulation of nutrient loading and adverse impacts on mobile and nonmobile flora and fauna in the vicinity of farms. Stead et al. (2002) argue for more
effective Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and better use of new
technologies, such as geographical information systems (GIS; see section 3.2), by
coastal planners and managers to achieve this. Integration into the social and economic aspects of use of the coastal zone may require a different approach; one that
must be industry-led. Staresinic and Popovi (2004) argue that aquaculture and
tourism have solid collaborative potential in certain areas, in particular regarding
the consumption of seafood by tourists. Strong leadership from within the industries that use the coastal zone is required to drive open collaboration on the use of
space and environmental issues between the two sectors.
Political decisions to create space for aquaculture in areas with suitable environmental characteristics may be the only route to allocate space in areas where
user conflicts are too extensive to allow new sites for aquaculture. As an example,
we can present an initiative undertaken in the Murcia region of Spain, where the
local authority decided to produce a regional plan for aquaculture development.
After consulting with all involved sectors (tourism, environment, agriculture,
navy, transport) and asking them to produce spatial information of their coastal
uses and to indicate where aquaculture could subsequently develop, no unused
portion of coastal space was identified. Thereafter, the planning process stalled at
this stage for 2 years. Finally, new aquaculture farms were concentrated in an offshore area and only after considerable political support for a national aquaculture
development plan (IUCN 2004).
3.7.2 Move Offshore or Submerge
Offshore aquaculture has been touted as a solution to both increasing the production of seafood and reducing the need for positioning aquaculture in coastal waters
(e.g., Marra 2005). While competition for offshore space is far reduced, the costs
of offshore aquaculture, both human and economic, are likely to be higher than
inshore operations and thus only very large farms may be feasible and competitive
(Ryan 2004). Until several technological and operational advances are made and
offshore aquaculture can compete economically with current inshore operations, in
the medium term (next 10–20 years), it is unlikely that a major proportion of the
aquaculture industry will move to truly offshore locations.