Article

Planning and licensing for marine aquaculture

Details

Citation

Falconer L, Cutajar K, Krupandan A, Capuzzo E, Corner RA, Ellis T, Jeffery K, Mikkelsen E, Moore H, O'Beirn FX, O'Donohoe P, Ruane NM, Shilland R, Tett P & Telfer TC (2023) Planning and licensing for marine aquaculture. Reviews in Aquaculture. https://doi.org/10.1111/raq.12783

Abstract
Marine aquaculture has the potential to increase its contribution to the global food system and provide valuable ecosystem services, but appropriate planning, licensing and regulation systems must be in place to enable sustainable development. At present, approaches vary considerably throughout the world, and several national and regional investigations have highlighted the need for reforms if marine aquaculture is to fulfil its potential. This article aims to map and evaluate the challenges of planning and licensing for growth of sustainable marine aquaculture. Despite the range of species, production systems and circumstances, this study found a number of common themes in the literature; complicated and fragmented approaches to planning and licensing, property rights and the licence to operate, competition for space and marine spatial planning, emerging species and diversifying marine aquaculture production (seaweed production, Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture [IMTA], nutrient and carbon offsetting with aquaculture, offshore aquaculture and co-location and multiuse platforms), and the need to address knowledge gaps and use of decision-support tools. Planning and licensing can be highly complicated, so the UK is used as a case study to show more detailed examples that highlight the range of challenges and uncertainty that industry, regulators and policymakers face across interacting jurisdictions. There are many complexities, but this study shows that many countries have undergone, or are undergoing, similar challenges, suggesting that lessons can be learned by sharing knowledge and experiences, even across different species and production systems, rather than having a more insular focus.

Keywords
aquaculture planning; environmental management; licensing; regulation; sustainable development

Notes
Output Status: Forthcoming/Available Online

Journal
Reviews in Aquaculture

StatusIn Press
FundersBBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, European Commission (Horizon 2020), European Commission (Horizon 2020) and BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Publication date online11/01/2023
Date accepted by journal22/12/2022
URLhttp://hdl.handle.net/1893/34722
PublisherWiley
ISSN1753-5123
eISSN1753-5131

People (3)

People

Dr Lynne Falconer

Dr Lynne Falconer

Research Fellow, Institute of Aquaculture

Miss Amalia Krupandan

Miss Amalia Krupandan

ITN Early Stage Researcher, Institute of Aquaculture

Professor Trevor Telfer

Professor Trevor Telfer

Professor, Institute of Aquaculture