What is it about?
This study explored the current governance frameworks across six European countries to assess if they would allow adoption of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA). The study found that an existing policy focus on environmental sustainability and industrial innovation may be an incentive for IMTA but that regulations are complex and extensive and so are a barrier to IMTA. Overall, national governance frameworks are amenable to pilot schemes, but for commercial expansion, we must make changes.
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Why is it important?
Demands for fish and shellfish are increasing, but there are many constraints to development such as shortage of sites, ecological carrying capacity (what the environment can sustain indefinitely) and public criticism based on perceived environmental impact. Solutions such as IMTA will be required to increase aquaculture production. However, policy and regulation can have a significant impact on innovation and it is important to understand if this is the case. In this instance, it is.
Perspectives
For me, the interesting part of this study was creating a 'typology' of governments' acceptance of IMTA. What aspects of policy & legislation are promotional (accelerate the development of IMTA); permissive (neutral toward IMTA); precautionary (slow the development of IMTA); and preventive (block or ban entirely the uptake of IMTA). It was interesting to note that there were aspects of policy and legislation that did each of these things! What's more, IMTA is becoming more popular as a practice in salmon aquaculture, and I now have a student in Tasmania who is conducting a similar study to investigate the policy and regulatory barriers and incentives for development. Watch this space.
Dr Karen A Alexander
University of Tasmania
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The implications of aquaculture policy and regulation for the development of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture in Europe, Aquaculture, June 2015, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2015.03.005.
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