Workshop Report Patrick White and Pedro

B. Bueno Izmir, Turkey, 5–8 July 2015

1. Background

Around the globe the availability of and access to aquaculture zones and sites with favourable characteristics, including those areas that minimize interactions and conflicts with other activities, are constraints to the expansion of the sector.

Meeting the future demand for food from aquaculture will, along with intensification, largely depend on the availability of space. Site selection and carrying capacity considerations, which includes assessment of risks and opportunities, are among the most important initial steps towards the establishment and development of a sustainable aquaculture. They should be carried out in accordance with sustainability objectives, the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF), and the ecosystem approach to aquaculture (EAA).
The FAO in partnership with the World Bank are preparing a guide on aquaculture spatial planning and management to improve biosecurity, minimize environmental impacts, maximize income and social benefits and improve interactions with other users of common resources. It will provide practical guidance to a broad range of stakeholders including farmers on the processes and steps for aquaculture zoning, site selection and area management. Planning and management of aquaculture development within the framework of the EAA are reviewed and recommendations to facilitate implementation using a zonal approach are provided.
The guide recommends steps and processes as well as policy recommendations. Ways to implement them in different national and local contexts are illustrated by case studies from different countries.