Aquaculture site selection and site management

313 Pages·2009·3.87 MB·English

Aquaculture
Site Selection
and

Site Management
Guide for the Sustainable
2
Development of
Mediterranean
Aquaculture
The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on
the part of IUCN, the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM) or the European Federation of Aquaculture producers
(FEAP) concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN, the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs
or the European Federation of Aquaculture Producers (FEAP).
This publication has been made possible in part by funding from the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs
Published by: The World Conservation Union (IUCN), Gland, Switzerland and Malaga, Spain in collaboration with
the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs and the European Federation of
Aquaculture Producers (FEAP).
With the collaboration of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Autonomous
Government of Andalusia
Copyright: © 2009 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized
without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged.
Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior
written permission of the copyright holder.
Citation: IUCN, 2009. Guide for the Sustainable Development of Mediterranean Aquaculture 2. Aquaculture site
selection and site management, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Malaga, Spain. VIII + 303 pages.
NIPO: 770-09-210-5
ISBN: 978-2-8317-1171-3
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Design & Layout: Chadi Abi Faraj
Cover photo: © José Miguel Gutierrez
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Produced by: IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation
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II
Table of contents
Foreword V
Executive summary 1
Introduction to the Guides 40
Concepts
Guide A: The importance of knowledge 43
Guide B: The participatory approach 55
Guide C: Social acceptability 63
Guide D: The precautionary principle 71
Guide E: The scale approach 77
Guide F: The adaptive approach 83
Guide G: Economic aspects 89
Frameworks
Guide H: The importance of governance 99
Guide I: The legal framework 105
Guide J: Administrative procedures 113
Guide K: Sectoral planning 131
Guide L: Private sector organizations 149

III
Methods
Guide M: Integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) 157
Guide N: The site selection process 165
Guide O: The ecosystem approach 179
Tools
Guide P: Carrying capacity, indicators and models 201
Guide Q: Environmental impact assessment (EIA) 213
Guide R: Environmental monitoring programme (EMP) 235
Guide S: Geographical information systems (GIS) 251
Annexes
Glossary 264
Bibliography by guide 268
List of participants in the Istanbul, Alicante and Split
workshops 294
List of acronyms 302
IV
Foreword
Aquaculture is currently facing a significant challenge: how to alleviate
the pressure on fish stocks exerted by commercial fishing and yet meet
the increasing demand for sea products in local and international markets
in a sustainable way. As a consequence, aquaculture is expected to develop
considerably in the near future in countries all round the Mediterranean.
The availability of suitable areas for aquaculture in the Mediterranean
region is becoming a major problem for the development and expansion
of the activity. There is a need for sites with appropriate environmental
characteristics and good water quality. In addition to these natural limiting
factors, the social aspects of interactions with other human activities or
conflicts over the use and appropriation of resources in the much-exploited
coastal zone are constraints to be considered when aquaculture facilities are
set up.
Site selection and site management are among the most important issues
for the success of aquaculture and need to be carried out in accordance
with sustainability and best practice guidelines. That is the aim of the
Marine Programme of the International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN). To that end, together with the Federation of European Aquaculture
Producers (FEAP) and the Secretariat for Fisheries of the Spanish Ministry
of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA)1, IUCN signed an agreement
in 2004 to cooperate and generate a series of “Guide for the sustainable
development of Mediterranean aquaculture”. The first of these devoted
to Interactions between aquaculture and the environment, particularly
emphasised the fact that most of the potential environmental impacts of
aquaculture can be managed and minimized through an understanding of
the processes involved, responsible management and the appropriate siting
of farms.
The aim of this second guide in the series, “Aquaculture site selection and site
management”, is to promote the sustainable development of Mediterranean
1 Currently Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM).
V
aquaculture by providing basic guidelines for good practice in site selection
and site management. It has been produced by the IUCN/FEAP working
group on aquaculture. More than 50 experts in different areas, including
socioeconomists, biologists, lawyers, aquaculture farmers, and government
and environmental organization representatives from most Mediterranean
countries came together in the workshops2. The principles and guidelines
that follow are the result of extensive debates during these workshops and at
later coordination meetings, as well as subsequent work conducted through
e-mail exchanges.
All the texts in this guide were drafted by the best Mediterranean experts on
each topic. The compilation, revision and structuring of the guides was done
by Sandra Simoes Rubiales (IUCN) and Pablo Ávila Zaragozá (D·a·p. Regional
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Government of Andalusia) under the
general coordination of François Simard (IUCN) and Javier Ojeda González-
Posada (APROMAR/FEAP). The Mediterranean drafting committee is
composed of the following experts:
- Abdelhafid Chalabi (Fisheries and Oceans Dpt)
- Céline Jacob (IUCN)
- David de Monbrison (BRLi/SECA)
- Denis Lacroix (Ifremer)
- Dror Angel (University of Haifa)
- Eduardo Chia (INRA)
- François Simard (IUCN)
- Fernando de la Gándara (IEO)
- Fernando del Castillo y Reig (D·a·p. Regional Ministry of
Agriculture and Fisheries, Government of Andalusia)
- Güzel Yücel-Gier (Dokuz Eylül University)
- Ioannis Karakassis (University of Crete)
- Ingebrigt Uglem (NINA)
- Javier Ojeda González-Posada (APROMAR/FEAP)
- José Carlos Macías Rivero (D·a·p. Regional Ministry of
Agriculture and Fisheries, Government of Andalusia)
2 Istanbul (October 2007), Alicante (February 2008), Split (March 2008). Organized in collaboration with the GFCM and the Mediterranean
Action Plan (MAP) Regional Activity Centres (RAC/SPA and PAP/RAC)
VI
- José Miguel Gutiérrez Ortega (Taxon S.L.)
- Juan Antonio López Jaime (Aula del Mar)
- Marko Prem (PAP/RAC)
- Mohamed Hichem Kara (University of Annaba)
- Neda Skakelja (FEAP)
- Pablo Ávila Zaragozá (D·a·p. Regional Ministry of Agriculture
and Fisheries, Government of Andalusia)
- Rosa Chapela Pérez (CETMAR)
- Sandra Simoes Rubiales (IUCN)
- Shérif Sadek (ACO)
- Shirra Freeman (University of Haifa)
- Yves Henocque (Ifremer).
The English version has been translated by Simon Beswetherick, Catherine
Germann and Isabel Moyano and edited by Christopher Tribe.
From the start, this work has enjoyed the unfailing financial support of
the General Secretariat of the Sea (SGM) of the Spanish Ministry of the
Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM), in cooperation with
the FAO General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).
VII
VIII
Guide for the Sustainable Development of Mediterranean Aquaculture
Executive Summary
The shared use of Public Domain areas and the conservation policies
for the Mediterranean Sea reduce the availability of sites. At the same
time, however, demand for aquaculture products is increasing, especially
because industries such as that in the Mediterranean can supply a constant
stream of quality products at stable prices. Further efforts are still required
to ensure the sustainable development of aquaculture in the Mediterranean;
to this end, site selection and site management are important processes
that need to be implemented in a sustainable manner.
Most problems stem from the lack of a full appreciation of the essential
elements that need to be considered in the site selection and site
management processes. Wrong decisions based on incomplete information
might jeopardise the sustainable development of aquaculture in the
Mediterranean.
This Guide seeks to provide the reader with a full set of parameters and
ideas to think about and apply to site selection and site management.
Perhaps not all the aspects that might have been treated have been included,
but an effort has been made to address those considered relevant within a
sustainable framework.
Guide A: The importance of knowledge
Guide B: The participatory approach
Guide C: Social acceptability
Guide D: The precautionary principle
Guide E: The scale approach
Guide F: The adaptive approach
Guide G: Economic aspects
1