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

156 GFCM:XXXV/2011/Dma.9
The scale factor should be applied in order to size the project, taking into account the
degree of detail required and the budget available for the process. The material and
financial resources required to carry out a site selection process should be considered in terms of
balancing investment against expected results.
The methodology to be used in a site selection process should begin with a sectoral analysis
and the identification of needs. The sectoral analysis must provide information on the type and
size of aquaculture planned. This information will be essential in order to identify the best
parameters for the study, the agents involved and the project’s scope.
The study methodology should preferably be selective and dynamic. Administrative factors
should be addressed first due to possible incompatibilities with other uses and to select and
focus on the environmental factors to study. The process should be dynamic, so that information
obtained is progressively interpreted and added to allow for feedback and updating.
The choice of parameters should directly relate to the statutory context in force for the
aquatic activity in the study area. The parameters selected for the study constitute the main
basis for determining the suitability of the area and should include those that interfere directly or
indirectly with the planned activity.
The site selection method should include the chronological sequence of actions required to
carry out the study within the expected timeframe. A schedule should be established for the
collection of information, map development, consultation and validation by agents, final results
and mapping.
The results of site selection processes should be mapped at a scale and in a format that can
be easily read and interpreted. The information obtained and its interpretation must be
represented graphically and be intelligible to the general public.
O. The Ecosystem Approach
This guide promotes the application of the ecosystem approach for managing the impacts of human
activities on the ecosystem, with the aim of optimizing its use without damaging it. It would therefore
be more accurate to call it an ecosystem-based approach to integrated management (EBM). It is a stepby-step
management tool based on the best available scientific, traditional and local knowledge on the
ecosystem and complies with the 12 principles recommended by the Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on Biological Diversity.
Principle
Site selection and site management should be addressed from an ecosystem-based approach
to integrated management.
Guidelines
In an ecosystem-based approach to integrated management (EBM), site selection and site
management should be based on cause-and-effect relationships between stressors, namely
the activity, and impacts, so as to provide information on the state of the ecosystem.
Assessment tools, such as Pathways of Effects or Cumulative Effects, can help managers to
propose mitigation measures or modifications to activities that have a negative impact on the
ecosystem conservation objectives.
EBM is a management tool which should be implemented at all scales, from local to
international, without undergoing changes. The ecosystem approach is a space-based strategy
156