The Socio-economic Dimensions of Offshore Aquaculture in a Multi-use Setting

Abstract

Decision-making within the marine realm is a complex process, which endorses ecological, societal and economic needs and they must therefore be managed jointly. Much of the formerly "free oceans" is nowadays subject to intensive uses, thus making the need to optimise the management of the resources within a multifunctional and multi-use(r) context apparent. The high competition for functions and uses of inshore and nearshore waters has given strong incentives to investigate the opportunities of moving industrial activities offshore. The current raise of offshore aquaculture is one prominent example of this. However, our understanding of the social dimensions and effects of offshore aquaculture is yet incomplete. We need to consider also how different multi-use settings for offshore aquaculture affect the socio-economic outcomes on various levels. During the development of offshore aquaculture, this multifunctional perspective has emerged especially for the combination with offshore wind farms. This synergy of two different stakeholders, the so-called multifunctional utilisation of marine areas, can be viewed as a new concept by the implementation of integrated, consensus-based resource planning conditions. We suggest a typology of social dimensions of marine aquaculture, based on the literature of "traditional" nearshore aquaculture. Based on this typology we discuss the current level of knowledge on the socio-economic dimensions of multi-use offshore aquaculture and point to further research needs.

The financial feasibility of sustainable open ocean sea bass farming using submerged net pens: European evidence

“…Knapp (2008) projects that an offshore sh farm with a yearly production of 10 million pounds (about 4,500 tonnes) in U.S. waters would yield an IRR of 22% (pp. [42][43]. Thomas et al (2019) propose an offshore sh farm model for the Caribbean that they found to be both technically and economically feasible and which could produce almost half the amount of seafood that is produced by wild capture sheries globally.…”

Governing aquaculture commons

“…53 Social typologies tend to be more general, focussed on key principles, factors or human dimensions to consider. [54][55][56] Other typologies have used ecosystem services to differentiate values provided. [57][58][59] In section 2.0, we detail the background and logic of our conceptual framework premised on commons governance theories.…”

“…fed, un‐fed, auto‐trophic) 53 . Social typologies tend to be more general, focussed on key principles, factors or human dimensions to consider 54‐56 . Other typologies have used ecosystem services to differentiate values provided 57‐59 …”

The three dimensions of aquaculture’s sustainability in Africa for food safety

“…The impacts of aquaculture on the economy of rural communities are key issues for sustainable development policies (Béné et al, 2016, Au-IBAR, 2017) [45,46] , since, the establishment of aquaculture businesses in a region can influence the availability of input factors like skilled labor, specialized suppliers, education programs, and other infrastructure (Krause and Mikkelsen, 2017) [47] . Over time, however, the development and growth of the aquaculture sector may stimulate the growth of other more or less related industries in the region, including the development of service and value chain activities (Aslesen and Isaksen 2007) [48] .…”