1.3. The ecosystem approach to aquaculture

One of the major challenges for the sustainable development of aquaculture is the sharing of water, land and other resources with alternative uses, such as fisheries, agriculture and tourism. Spatial planning for aquaculture, including zoning, site selection and the design of aquaculture management areas, should consider the balance between the social, economic, environmental and governance objectives of local communities and sustainable development.

It is now widely recognized that further aquaculture development should be a planned activity that is designed in a more responsible manner so as to minimize negative social and environmental impacts as much as possible. One essential step is appropriate spatial planning at the local, regional and national levels, and accounting for transboundary issues where these are relevant. Although many of the social and environmental concerns surrounding impacts derived from aquaculture may be addressed at the individual farm level, most impacts are cumulative. Impacts may be insignificant when an individual farm is considered, but potentially highly significant when multiple farms are located in the same area, or when the entire sector is taken as a whole. The process and steps through which aquaculture is spatially planned and managed, and integrated into the local economy and ecological context is termed the ecosystem approach to aquaculture (EAA). Three principles govern the implementation of the EAA:

(i) Aquaculture should be developed in the context of ecosystem functions and services (including biodiversity) with no degradation of these beyond their resilience.
(ii) Aquaculture should improve human well-being with equity for all relevant stakeholders (e.g. access rights and fair share of incomes).
(iii) Aquaculture should be developed in the context of other sectors, policies and goals, as appropriate.
The EAA provides a planning and management framework to effectively integrate aquaculture into local planning, and give clear mechanisms for engaging with producers and the government for the effective sustainable management of aquaculture operations by taking into account local and national social, economic, environmental and governance objectives.
The EAA benefits from having a national aquaculture and/or other relevant policy (e.g. food security, coastal zone management) to guide implementation, and depends on legally binding and fair regulation and allocation of user rights. Mandated under the EAA are permanent stakeholder consultations and use of best available knowledge to underpin policy and enforcement (FAO, 2010).