FAO workshop on Carrying Capacity and Site Selection
20 Dec 2010
Professor Lindsay Ross, Dr Trevor Telfer and Dr Richard Corner, from the Institute of Aquaculture, recently hosted a meeting of world experts on global aquaculture carrying capacity and site selection. The work was funded through the Institute by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
An international group of aquaculture experts attended the workshop from 6th to 9th December 2010, to discuss current practice and to contribute to development of a future framework for global aquaculture carrying capacity and site selection. This was done against the backdrop of the aquaculture industry needing to increase production globally, by 30 million tonnes in the next 40 years to meet demand, in an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable way. The effort also coincided with the recent publication of the FAO document on an Ecosystem Approach to Aquaculture (EAA).
Aquaculture experts from Europe, Scandinavia, Latin America, the USA and Canada, North, South and West Africa, Asia and China contributed regional reviews; whilst others submitted specific subject reviews (on socio-economics, environment, legislation and policy, technology and modelling approaches). Participants attended the workshop to present and discuss their ideas and views to colleagues
The workshop will culminate in the publication of an FAO technical document, which will pull together and highlight current practice and approaches, knowledge gaps and future direction. A second publication, a guideline document, will be promoted by FAO to Governments and policy makers as an approach to develop their own strategies for carrying capacity and site selection for future aquaculture development. These are expected to be available in the latter part of 2011.