Shrimp Farming and the Environment - Library

Conclusions and recommendationsRecommendations for government- and industry-initiated measures to promote and manage sustainableshrimp culture have been made in several recent reports and papers (Barg 1992; GESAMP 1996b,1997; Chua 1992, 1997; Clay 1996; SEACAM 1999). The main common features of theserecommendations are listed below, modified and supplemented on the basis of this analysis. Whilesome elements may be inappropriate in particular development contexts, governments and industryrepresentative bodies should consider all of these issues carefully and seek to adopt and promote abroad range of measures, with the goal of implementing more sustainable shrimp culture, and inparticular the technical recommendations made in previous chapters.Central government policyIt is now generally recognized that in order to ensure that shrimp aquaculture is sustainable and willincreasingly contribute to food security, government policies have to be established and implementedthat are responsive to the main issues of sustainable development.In general, it is advisable to plan the development of shrimp farming as part of an integrated coastalmanagement plan, taking into consideration the many different uses of the coastal area. Where this isnot possible (from lack of time or resources), a sector (coastal aquaculture) environmental assessment,leading to a sector development and management plan, may be adequate.In general, sustainable development of shrimp aquaculture is most likely where the following preconditionscan be met:• A legal, regulatory, and enforcement framework specifically designed or adapted for coastalaquaculture development;• The existence of, and compliance with, an aquaculture development and management plan, oran integrated coastal management plan for the area;• Sector environmental assessment as a key element in the drawing up of such a plan;• In the case of large projects, environmental assessment studies, adhering to current bestpractices, undertaken during the project planning; and• Proper law enforcement instruments, supported by the resources necessary for enforcement.An appropriate framework and process for establishing these conditions is summarized below,including an indication of appropriate roles and responsibilities in this process.Legal and regulatory frameworksLegal and regulatory frameworks must be country-specific and will often build on or add to existinglegislation. Nonetheless, some common components that serve to promote sustainable shrimp cultureshould be included:• Principles, values, and definitions relating to sustainable coastal aquaculture development;• Provisions for the development, implementation, monitoring, and adaptation of sector plans,natural resources management plans, and/or integrated coastal management plans at provincialand/or district levels;• Provisions for the application and use of both sector environmental assessment (EA) andproject or individual farm environmental assessment;• Responsibilities and procedures for the development and implementation of such plans, andfor the conduct of EA, including in particular the need to use a participatory approach;• Requirements for the minimum content of such plans, possibly based on the content outlinedbelow;• Requirements for setting environmental quality standards, and provisions for the promotion orregulation of activities in order to meet such quality standards;• Allocation of authority and responsibility for implementation and enforcement of plans andassociated incentives and regulations;• Clarification of ownership and use rights of coastal lands and water (including provision foraccess and title to coastal and aquatic resources), taking full account of the needs and61