Selecting priorities, indicators and criteria to monitor sustainable aquaculture development lessons learned from selected case studies in the Mediterranean

Abstract

Aquaculture sustainability builds upon its environmental, economic, sociological and governance dimensions and although the recent global interest in aquaculture sustainability has arisen due to the rapid expansion of the sector, lack of consensus and diverging conflicts among stakeholders have often compromised and lessen the achievement of real actions to ensure the sustainable development of aquaculture. The use of indicators in aquaculture is considered one of the most appropriate tools to monitor and assess the growth of sustainable aquaculture activities. In this study, we present the main outcomes of a broad project implemented by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) called “Indicators for the sustainable development of aquaculture and guidelines for their use in the Mediterranean” (2008-2015), with emphasis on the relevance of the process that – in the areas of several Mediterranean riparian countries – has led to the selection and identification of a pool of indicators for monitoring the sustainable aquaculture development from an initial regional reference system of 156 indicators. The development of case studies at the local level based on PCI approach (Principles-Criteria- Indicators) has allowed among other things to identify the main steps that were necessary to build local consensus on the selection, implementation and performance assessment of aquaculture indicators, with the involvement of key stakeholders. In the case studies, the 156 selected indicators and related criteria were ranked by the local stakeholders based on their perception and understanding the local priorities at the time of the case studies to achieve the sustainable development of aquaculture in each area. Based on the importance of the criteria by the stakeholders, we studied the order of relevance assigned to the indicators for one of each of the four pillar of aquaculture sustainability (governance, social, economic and environmental). Several direct and indirect positive effects deriving from the implementation of aquaculture indicators are presented. Furthermore, the work carried out highlighted also that the identification and use of indicators and criteria applied is an evolving process reflecting the dynamic status of aquaculture development and the perception of its sustainability at the time in which the indicators are identified. The work was carried out consistently with the participatory approach principles and focusing on the criteria associated to the social acceptability of aquaculture considered an integral part of sustainability.

Keywords

• Aquaculture,Sustainable development,Mediterranean Sea,Indicators

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