Aquaculture is an increasingly important food-producing sector, providing protein for human consumption. However, marine aquaculture often struggles for space due to the crowded nature of human activities in many marine coastal areas, and because of limited attention from spatial planning managers. Here, we assess the need for coastal spatial planning, emphasising the establishment of suitable areas for the development of marine aquaculture, termed Allocated Zones for Aquaculture (AZAs), in which aquaculture has secured use and priority over other activities, and where potential adverse environmental impacts and negative interactions with other users are minimised or avoided. We review existing examples of marine aquaculture spatial development worldwide and discuss the proper use of site selection in relation to different legal and regulatory requirements. National or regional authorities in charge of coastal zone management should carry out spatial planning defining optimal sites for aquaculture to promote development of sustainable marine aquaculture and avoid conflict with other users, following a participatory approach and adhering to the principles of ecosystem-based management.

The impact of a sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L., 1758) farm on water quality and benthic community structure was investigated at a fish farm site in Engeceli Bay (western part of Izmir Bay) between April 2001 and February 2002. The characteristics of the water column in the fish farm were investigated in terms of physical and chemical parameters. Concentrations of nitrate, phosphate and ammonium ions in all sampling stations within the Bay were compared with the water quality parameters measured at the outer part of Izmir Bay (Eastern Aegean Sea). While there were significant differences from season to season of the levels of ammonium, orthophosphate, total phosphate and nitrite, there were no significant differences among stations. However, nitrate values and organic carbon contents showed significant differences among sampling stations. A reference station was selected to compare benthic groups. While the reference site is characterized by a sandy bottom with the lowest carbon and highest diversity values, the other stations with silty‐clay bottoms showed higher organic enrichment and lower diversity with increasing abundance of polychaeta. Organic enrichment and particle size of sediments were closely associated with faunal groups particularly with polychaeta and mollusca.

This paper describes marine aquaculture production and the regulation thereof in Turkey. Dominated by the cage farming of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and sea bream (Sparus aurata), shellfish farming is insignificant. Finfish farmers must obtain permits from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) as the main authority responsible for regulating marine finfish aquaculture. In addition, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MEF) controls the compatibility of interactions with the environment while the provincial governments issue permits for marine public property use and organize the leasing procedures. Finfish farming activities are controlled by a number of specific laws and regulations administered mainly through the MARA and the MEF. This article provides a review of the development and present status of the licensing, regulating and monitoring procedures for finfish aquaculture in Turkey. The notable expansion of the finfish aquaculture sector in recent years and the problems created in relation to the current relevant legislation and applications are presented and discussed.

The hypothesis that the presence of fish farming zones affects the water quality and plankton communities was investigated in an Aegean Sea fish farm during February, June, September and January 2000–2001. In the spatial coverage, a total of 12 stations were sampled; three of them were reference stations. A variance analysis was applied to the measurements made at the stations near the fish farms and at the control stations. While no significant differences in concentrations of nutrients, chlorophyll a, particulate organic carbon and particulate organic nitrogen were detected between the stations and the control sites within one season, significant differences were detected between the parameter values measured except for total dissolved phosphorus and dissolved organic phosphorus at different seasons. The seasonal differences were also significant with regard to the biodiversity. Together with these temporal differences in general, there was a higher diversity of species at the control site as compared with the other stations in September, which was the key season to detection of significant changes. The most important consideration is that it is not sufficient to take the instantaneous values for the physico‐chemical variables; rather, it is necessary to monitor the biological parameters in order to define the differences in the ecosystem.

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