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GESAMP (IMO/FAO/UNESCO-IOC/WMO/WHO/IAEA/UN/UNEP Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection), 2001. Planning and management for sustainable coastal aquaculture development. Rep.Stud.GESAMP, (68): 90 p. The coastal zone is characterized by ambiguities of resource ownership, and complex interactions between resources, ecosystems and resource users. It has been widely recognised that to address these complexities, and to promote sustainable development in the coastal zone, a more integrated approach is needed, ideally within the framework of Integrated Coastal Management (ICM). The rationale for more integrated approaches to aquaculture development is powerful: coastal aquaculture has brought significant economic and employment benefits to both national economies and coastal people throughout the world; aquaculture is highly vulnerable to pollution caused by other resource users; if poorly designed or managed it may cause pollution or the spread of disease; its impacts are often limited but incremental and cumulative; and it often takes place in areas where resource ownership or use rights are ill defined and ambiguous. Efforts to integrate aquaculture into coastal management can contribute to improvements in selection, protection and allocation of sites and other resources for existing and future aquaculture developments. This report is based on a review of literature and experience relating to the planning and management of aquaculture development and its integration into coastal area management. It explores in detail how more planned and integrated approaches can be applied to aquaculture development. These approaches range from "enhanced sectoral" initiatives, to incorporation within comprehensive ICM programmes. No simple, effective, and widely applicable models have been identified. The most appropriate approach will depend upon a wide range of local factors, including available skills and resources, the urgency of the problems or opportunities, and the nature of existing planning and development frameworks. The less comprehensive approaches may be the only realistic option in some situations, but should be seen as a starting point for, and stimulus to, more comprehensive ICM. These approaches should contribute to more systematic planning and improved management of individual aquaculture operations, as well as to the coastal aquaculture sector as a whole. Key words: Aquaculture Development, Planning, Coastal Management, Sustainable Development |
