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

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The precautionary principle should be applied in the decision-making processes for
aquaculture site selection and site management, within the framework of the ecosystem
approach and in conjunction with the participatory and adaptive approaches. It allows for
the taking of decisions even though not all the relevant scientific data may be available, and it
helps stakeholders to take a straightforward approach.
The precautionary principle should be applied within certain limits in order to avoid
possible rejection. Precaution has no defined or measurable limits, and these must be
established mainly on the basis of the possible effects of any action, without crossing certain
thresholds or reaching the point of no action.
The precautionary principle should take account of all relevant forms of information,
such as scientific and traditional knowledge, on an appropriate temporal and spatial scale.
The better the decision makers are informed, the more appropriately the site selection process
can be planned in view of the risks to be incurred.
E. The Scale Approach
This guide presents the concept of scale as a factor to be considered in the process of aquaculture site
selection and site management, where spatial and temporal dimensions influence decision making. A
definition of the concept is given and the effect of mismatches among scaling factors on site selection
and site management is described.
Principle
Site selection and site management in a context of sustainable development of aquaculture
should take the scale approach into account when studying interactions between several
systems.
Guidelines
The scale approach should be applied at each step of the aquaculture site selection and site
management process. Continuous attention to sizing and identification of mismatches can help to
achieve the success of aquaculture projects in a given area.
Research should be encouraged to understand and resolve scale mismatches in the process of
site selection and site management. The ability to identify, measure, and compare the effects
caused by the different scales at which the varied systems function can help the process to
succeed.
The potential growth of the aquaculture project should be considered at the outset of the site
management process. A long-term view of the possible future development of the aquaculture
farm will enable managers to overcome further foreseeable mismatches between the activity and
the surrounding systems.
Tools such as geographical information systems should be used to assess the spatial and
temporal scales in the aquaculture site selection and site management process. Powerful tools
can help to reveal what is happening in a system at different scales so that the situation can be
managed knowingly.
Site selection and site management should be decentralized to the lowest appropriate level.
Government structure and the level of decentralization in Mediterranean countries play an
important role in the process. Institutions frequently lack the necessary multi-scale vision and
associated flexibility to solve problems that occur at scales that they usually do not consider.
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