Evidence requirement R002: Predicting the future location and potential value of sites of aquaculture development
Updated 4 April 2019
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1. Requirement overview
1.1 Requirement detail
Aquaculture has the potential to be one of the fastest growing English maritime sectors. Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has developed initial approaches to predicting where aquaculture may occur at strategic level and applied such approaches within East and South marine plan areas. There is the potential to enhance approaches and improve predictions for the potential for aquaculture development nationally. The MMO also wishes to consider estimates of the economic values of aquaculture at each site. Considerations include emerging aquaculture products (eg seaweed for biofuels and pharmaceuticals) and techniques (eg multi-trophic aquaculture or offshore cages).
1.2 MMO use
Marine Planning: To support aquaculture growth by identifying strategic regions of potential for aquaculture developments and their value, including understanding potential for colocation and displacement among aquaculture and other marine activities.
1.3 External interest
Environment Agency, Natural England, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Seafish.
2. Aims and objectives
2.1 Aim
To identify areas of strategic potential for future aquaculture growth and their value.
2.2 Objectives
Specific objectives are:
- continued development of robust predictive approaches to identify areas of strategic aquaculture potential.
- expanded spatial coverage from the East and South marine plan areas to include national coverage to identify areas of strategic aquaculture potential.
- incorporation of emerging aquaculture species and techniques
- validation of model outputs with stakeholders including Seafish and the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities
3. Existing evidence
3.1 MMO
MMO1040 - Spatial trends in aquaculture potential in the South and East inshore and offshore marine plan areas and associated technical documents detail the development of a MMO model to identify trends in aquaculture development.
MMO hosted a Valuing Nature placement entitled “Identifying evidence needs for modelling and valuing aquaculture potential in marine plan areas” funded by Natural Environment Research Council through the Valuing Nature Programme. This activity will progress the first two objectives within this evidence requirement.
3.2 Academic
AQUASPACE (2015-2018, Horizon 2020) project and its outputs eg Gimpel et. al (2018) seeks to increase aquaculture production using the ecosystem approach to aquaculture, and identifying constraints to aquaculture industry development.
Recent publications from the scientific community of relevance include explorations of modelling approaches. Henriques et al (2017) applied Marxan (a decision support software developed for conservation planning) to identify potential aquaculture areas that reduce conflict with stakeholders providing a proof of concept approach for the software application.
Falconer et al (2016) investigated the potential of “species distribution models”, for aquaculture site selection by evaluating parameters at current aquaculture sites and identify similar areas across the rest of the study area. The MMO has used species distribution models in prior work in this area although the limited number of aquaculture sites/species currently restricts this particular application.
Synthesis of existing literature on the interactions between offshore aquaculture and the environment is sufficient at a generic level for informed decisions to achieve a sustainable offshore aquaculture (Gentry et al 2017). Specific studies such as van der Molen et al (2018) are informative for considering modelling and input variables.
3.3 Other
Sustainable Aquaculture - (2014-2017) Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and Natural Environment Research Council funded a two year interdisciplinary capacity-building programme in collaboration with partners including Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Agri Food and Biosciences Institute, Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Agency in Scotland with 21 funded projects including risks and opportunities for sustainable aquaculture, and minimising the risk of harm to aquaculture and human health from advective harmful algal blooms through early warning.
4. Current activity
Identification of sites of marine aquaculture potential in England (MMO1184); an MMO led project working in collaboration with CEFAS and the Crown Estate to identify areas of strategic potential
The MMO is partnering or supporting work across a range of relevant topics including the East Devon and Dorset FLAG aquaculture mapping project to develop aquaculture planning resources focused on the East Devon and Dorset FLAG (Fisheries Local Action Group) area and European Maritime and Fisheries fund projects such as Assessing & mitigating the future risks of harmful algal blooms to wild fisheries and aquaculture (Exeter University)
5. Further details
For more information or to add further research to the existing evidence list please email [mailto:evidence@marinemanagement.org.uk] (evidence@marinemanagement.org.uk)