Site selection and carrying capacity in Mediterranean ... - FAO Sipam

143 GFCM:XXXV/2011/Dma.9
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ANNEX 2
The IUCN guide for the sustainable development of Mediterranean aquaculture: aquaculture
site selection and site management 39
Introduction
The availability of suitable areas for aquaculture in the Mediterranean 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,
social aspects relating to interactions with other human activities or conflicts over the use and
appropriation of resources in the much-exploited coastal zone are constrains to be considered at the
time of setting up aquaculture facilities.
Site selection and site management are among the most important issues for the success of the activity
and need to be carried out in accordance with sustainability and best practice guidelines. This 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 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Spain (MAPA) 40 signed an agreement
in 2004 to cooperate and generate a series of “Guides for Sustainable development of Mediterranean
Aquaculture”. The first of these, devoted to the 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 the present guide “Aquaculture site selection and site management in the Mediterranean”,
the second in a series, is to promote the sustainable development of Mediterranean aquaculture by
providing basic guidelines for good practice in aquaculture 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 socio-economists, biologists, lawyers, aquaculture farmers, and government and
environmental organization representatives from most Mediterranean countries took part in a number
of workshops. 41
The principles and guidelines are the result of extensive debates during these workshops and at
coordination meetings, as well as subsequent work on line through e-mail exchanges.
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 on a sustainable way.
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.
39 IUCN 2009. Guide for the sustainable development of Mediterranean aquaculture.n.2 Aquaculture site selection and site
management. Gland, Switzerland and Malaga, Spain: IUCN, VIII+303p 39
40 Currently, Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM).
41 Istanbul, October 2007; Alicante, February 2008; Split, March 2008. All the workshops were organized in collaboration
with the GFCM and the MAP activity centres (RAC/SPA and PAP/RAC).