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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Workshop on Guidelines in support of social acceptability for sustainable aquaculture development was held from 8 to 10 April 2019 in Monastir, Tunisia, at the Technical Aquaculture Center (CTA). It was organized by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO) within the framework of the project on Mediterranean Aquaculture Integrated Development (MedAID) and was attended by 70 participants from 17 countries. The main objective was to address social acceptability of sustainable aquaculture from a wide perspective, including the main challenges to be faced, the role of the local and national stakeholders and relationships in the context of interactions between aquaculture and marine protected areas. The workshop confirmed that social acceptability is one of the main challenges that now is hampering the development of the sector. Through presentations and working group sessions, the workshop addressed each dimension of sustainability (environment, social, economic and governance) and identified practical actions and methods to be considered for the preparation of guidelines to improve social acceptability of aquaculture in the region. Participants also agreed on the importance of allocated zones for aquaculture (AZA), integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) and implementation of aquaculture in marine protected areas (MPAs) as tools to improve social acceptability of the sector.