2. 1) Context
What is aquaculture?
The farming of aquatic organisms including fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic plants. Farming
implies some form of intervention in the rearing process to enhance production, such as regular
stocking, feeding, protection from predators and others. Farming also implies individual or
corporate ownership of the stock being cultivated.
Food and Agriculture Organization (1990)
The geographical area covered by the term “coastal” includes the shore land influenced by the sea,
the water column and the sea bed extending to edge of the continental edge
(Sorensen and McCreary, 1990).
Therefore the term “coastal aquaculture” …
…Covers land-based and water-based brackish and marine aquaculture practices.
(Guidelines for the promotion of environmental management of coastal aquaculture development,
U.C.Barg)
4. 1) Context
Context scenario:
Producers
Commitment Percentage of
to farms adopting
Government Ministry of
responsible eco-innovative
coastal
authorities Agriculture aquaculture
aquaculture protocols
Consumers
Aim of the project:
• Help authorities and coastal aquaculture farms to execute an objective monitoring of
their coastal aquaculture activities and technology;
• Measure the eco-innovation knowledge and implementation and their social
participation; and finally
• Measure the ecological footprint.
5. 2) Methods: DPSIR
DRIVERS OF COASTAL-CULTURE
ACTIVITY AND ECONOMY
Adoptation of eco-
innovative coastal
aquaculture methods by
the farms
PRESSURES
RESPONSES
Environmental
integration of
farms
ENVIRONMENTAL AND STATE OF THE
ECONOMIC IMPACTS ENVIRONMENT
6. 2) Methods: Indicator - system
Percentage of farms adopting eco-
innovative aquaculture protocols
Technology and best Eco-innovation knowledge Ecological footprint
practices and social participation
Percentages Other units Percentages Other units Percentages Other units
% of farms using Tons of high % of farms Number of % of farms Number of
high quality feeds quality feeds used training employees employees trained adopting an Environmental
(Tons/year) in eco-innovation in eco-innovation Environmental Impact Assessment
(Number) Impact Assessment (EIA) and monitoring
% of farms Investments in (EIA) and monitoring procedures
implementing innovative % of recruited workers within the last
procedure performed
innovative technologies for three years with training in eco-innovation
(Number/year)
technologies for waste management
waste management (Amount /year) % of farms Frequency of % of farms adopting mitigation measures
participating in exchange on best post EIA
% of farms using agriculture-aquaculture
exchange platforms available techniques % of farms with Difference of
systems
on best available and practices (ratio) an ISO 14001 number of ISO 14001
% of farms Profitability of techniques and certification certifications every
adopting extensive extensive pond practices 3 years
pond culture culture systems % of farms Tax contribution (number/3years)
systems (Profit/pond
contributing to the of farms to local % of farms Density of fish
system/year)
development of communities adopting moderate dedicated to
% of farms Number of species local communities (monetary unit) stocking levels stocking levels
adopting integrated per trophic level in % of farms Time dedicated (weight/volume)
Multi-Trophic polyculture
providing effective to communication % of farms monitoring the presence of
aquaculture aquaculture
tools for and engagement algae (seaweed) as a bio-indicator for
practices (Number)
communication with with stakeholders water quality evaluation
stakeholders (time unit)
7. 2) Methods: Indicator - system
Purposes
• Aquaculture indicators are used to assess the condition of the environment in which
this practice takes place and how the activity itself can impact the environment.
• The formulated indicator should provide information about the structure, function
and composition of the coastal aquaculture system.
Dependency
Both
conventional and
eco-indicators
suffered from the Vague goals and objectives
following
problems
lack scientific rigor
8. 2) Methods: Indicator - system
NUSAP
Tool for assessing uncertainty and data flaws
Quantitative dimensions: Numeric, Unit, Spread
Qualitative dimensions: Assessment, Pedigree
Advantages and disadvantages
Rigorous and lengthy methodology: relevance for what scale of
eco-innovation and systems?
9. 2) Methods: Indicator - system
NUSAP
Pedigree Matrix
•
In Green: criteria
scoring 3 and +: no
immediate action;
•
In yellow: scores of
1.5 to 2.5 requiring
mid-term revision;
•
In red: scores below
1.5 requiring urgent
revision of the
indicator’s foundations
and/or of the activity
measured
10. 2) Methods: Indicator - system
NUSAP
Applied to the TIMER
energy model
(Source: Van der
Sluijs et al., 2001)
11. 2) Methods: Indicator - system
• Questionnaire for indicator-system measurement
Includes questions type “Yes/No” and questions providing specific data. The
questionnaire has scores for environmental performance and for
innovation.
Technologies and best practices
Does your farm use an Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture practice?
Score1 No Yes If « yes », please add the number of species per trophic
level in polyculture aquaculture:
EES 0 5 …………………………………………
IS 0 5
Eco-innovation knowledge and social participation
Did your company send employees to eco-innovation training(s) lasting more than 3 days?
Score6 No Yes If « yes », please add the number of employees:
EES 0 1 …………………………………………
IS 0 2
Ecological footprint
Does your farm have an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and monitoring procedure?
Score11 No Yes If « yes », please add the number EIA/year:
EES 0 2 …………………………………………
IS 0 1
• Questionnaire for collecting feedbacks from the questioned coastal
aquaculture farms
12. 3) Conclusions
• The aim of “Divising an eco-innovation indicator-system for coastal
aquaculture” project is to evaluate the eco-innovation character of the “
adaptation of coastal aquaculture methods” response to issues in coastal
aquaculture by using an indicator-system which is “percentage of coastal
aquaculture farms adopting eco-innovative protocols”
• Project’s main focus is the development of the indicator-system by
integrating methodical elements components.
• The result of this report is that an indicator-system on eco-innovation
evaluation and monitoring is possible in coastal aquaculture. A very useful
tool is NUSAP quality model which scans indicators’ pitfalls and
uncertainties.
-Stronger commitment to responsible coastal aquaculture is needed not only from the producers, but also from government authorities and general public, including consumers. -To address this problem, the Ministry of Agriculture made a survey to determine the actual situation referring to eco-innovations in aquaculture farms, taking into account the economic, social and environmental point of view. -After gathering and analyzing the information, the general response to this topic, is an apparent lack –and therefore a need- of specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-framed indicators. -As showed in the poll and after a prioritization was made, this work was made to tackle this situation with a main indicator: “Percentage of farms adopting eco-innovative aquaculture protocols”. -The main objectives of this release are to help authorities and coastal aquaculture farms to execute an objective monitoring of their coastal aquaculture activities and technology; to measure the eco-innovation knowledge and implementation and their social participation; and finally measure the ecological footprint.