on high water quality which was often easy to achieve because of their low intensity.
It was not until greater intensification of aquaculture in the 1970s, increasing the
pressure on the environment significantly, that it became urgent to monitor and
regulate aquaculture (Chapter 2). The current expansion rate in world aquaculture
production of 3.5–4.6% yr
−1 can only be sustained if the major pressures exerted on
the environment and dependence on natural resources, such as feed and brood
stocks (Chapter 10), are reduced.
With regard to regulation and monitoring at present time, the Water Framework
Directive (WFD) is being implemented all over Europe and will become important
for the regulation of aquaculture and other human activities in the coastal zone
(Chapter 1). Chapter 1 clarifies present understanding of eutrophication and provides
an insight into water quality models on as they are expected to be used under the
WFD, providing examples from Scotland different scenarios for the future regulation
of marine aquaculture in the coastal zones. Aquaculture producing countries outside
Europe regulate aquaculture activities through a number of different laws and conventions, often with several laws enforced on different aspects of the production
cycle (Chapter 2). In Norway, which is one of the top five producers in the world
and where the production of salmon in net cages in the coastal zone is an important
contributor to the national economy, the monitoring of environmental impacts of
the industry has been developed since the beginning of the industry 30 years ago
and is now a classified program according to national standards implemented
throughout the country (Chapter 2). As an example of a more recent developed
program, the monitoring in Malta is presented (Chapter 2). During the 1990s, the
Mediterranean experienced an exponential growth in the production of sea bream
and sea bass in net cages and, as the environmental conditions in the Mediterranean
are unique (e.g. widespread oligotrophy), some of the environmental pressures differ
considerably from those in Northern Europe. One example is the prevalence of
seagrass meadows of the species Posidonia oceanica as a benthic ecosystem along
Mediterranean coasts. As this is a sensitive ecosystem, facing general declines in
the coastal zone (Marbá et al. 2005), it is important to monitor this ecosystem in
fish farm surroundings to avoid accelerating declines (Chapter 2). Tuna farming (or
ranching) is a major activity in Malta as well as in several other Mediterranean
countries and, although it is debated whether this industry is “real” aquaculture or
should be considered as a fattening industry instead, the environmental impacts
differ from sea bream and sea bass aquaculture due to the use of wet feed (fresh/
frozen fish) instead of dry feed pellets.
A new development in aquaculture monitoring and regulation, which will play
an important role for future development, is in considering aquaculture as an integrated part of the marine ecosystem. This means that aquaculture should be managed together with a number of other industries and other users of the marine
ecosystem (Chapter 3), but also that the production is a part of ecosystem and has to
be managed at different scales, not only the water column and sediment floor in the
vicinity of the net cages, but also at larger scales in the coastal zones (Chapter 1). One
example of scale can be found in Chapter 5, which addresses the issue of introductions
of alien species into coastal zones caused by aquaculture operations. This is particularly
vi
Foreword
It was not until greater intensification of aquaculture in the 1970s, increasing the
pressure on the environment significantly, that it became urgent to monitor and
regulate aquaculture (Chapter 2). The current expansion rate in world aquaculture
production of 3.5–4.6% yr
−1 can only be sustained if the major pressures exerted on
the environment and dependence on natural resources, such as feed and brood
stocks (Chapter 10), are reduced.
With regard to regulation and monitoring at present time, the Water Framework
Directive (WFD) is being implemented all over Europe and will become important
for the regulation of aquaculture and other human activities in the coastal zone
(Chapter 1). Chapter 1 clarifies present understanding of eutrophication and provides
an insight into water quality models on as they are expected to be used under the
WFD, providing examples from Scotland different scenarios for the future regulation
of marine aquaculture in the coastal zones. Aquaculture producing countries outside
Europe regulate aquaculture activities through a number of different laws and conventions, often with several laws enforced on different aspects of the production
cycle (Chapter 2). In Norway, which is one of the top five producers in the world
and where the production of salmon in net cages in the coastal zone is an important
contributor to the national economy, the monitoring of environmental impacts of
the industry has been developed since the beginning of the industry 30 years ago
and is now a classified program according to national standards implemented
throughout the country (Chapter 2). As an example of a more recent developed
program, the monitoring in Malta is presented (Chapter 2). During the 1990s, the
Mediterranean experienced an exponential growth in the production of sea bream
and sea bass in net cages and, as the environmental conditions in the Mediterranean
are unique (e.g. widespread oligotrophy), some of the environmental pressures differ
considerably from those in Northern Europe. One example is the prevalence of
seagrass meadows of the species Posidonia oceanica as a benthic ecosystem along
Mediterranean coasts. As this is a sensitive ecosystem, facing general declines in
the coastal zone (Marbá et al. 2005), it is important to monitor this ecosystem in
fish farm surroundings to avoid accelerating declines (Chapter 2). Tuna farming (or
ranching) is a major activity in Malta as well as in several other Mediterranean
countries and, although it is debated whether this industry is “real” aquaculture or
should be considered as a fattening industry instead, the environmental impacts
differ from sea bream and sea bass aquaculture due to the use of wet feed (fresh/
frozen fish) instead of dry feed pellets.
A new development in aquaculture monitoring and regulation, which will play
an important role for future development, is in considering aquaculture as an integrated part of the marine ecosystem. This means that aquaculture should be managed together with a number of other industries and other users of the marine
ecosystem (Chapter 3), but also that the production is a part of ecosystem and has to
be managed at different scales, not only the water column and sediment floor in the
vicinity of the net cages, but also at larger scales in the coastal zones (Chapter 1). One
example of scale can be found in Chapter 5, which addresses the issue of introductions
of alien species into coastal zones caused by aquaculture operations. This is particularly
vi
Foreword