Aquaculture environmental impact assessments and strategic planning - how do you decide what is important so that you can provide the right information and advice to various stakeholders?

Environmental monitoring data can be used to assess the sustainability of aquaculture operations, and to reassure the community that natural resources are being managed effectively. This information influences how the industry’s environmental values and credentials are judged, it is therefore important that monitoring is relevant both in terms of ecological protection and the community’s environmental values. However, it can be difficult for the community to translate the outputs of monitoring (which are often based around ecological processes) to things they actually care about. Furthermore, the way in which individual sectors of the community engage with the marine environment differs, resulting in both common and conflicting values amongst users.

This study compared the values held by industry, government and the broader community with respect to the marine environment, and provides some understanding of those that mattered most in different contexts. The research was specifically aimed at understanding those values connected to marine farming with a view to i) supporting planning and management to safeguard key marine values and ii) clarifying how current monitoring parameters relate to those values. The findings suggest that people care strongly and differently about marine waters. The 3 key outcomes were; i) definition of various sectoral values, ii) mapping of values between sectors and iii) clarification of the relationship between the values and relevant legislation and/or environmental data streams.

This study is the first stage in a broader project, developing an integrated modelling package (comprising hydrodynamic, biogeochemical, GIS and risk analysis components) to enable stakeholders to scenario test the effects of proposed changes before making on-ground decisions. The values information is in itself an essential component of this package and will also be critical in determining how best to report back the scientific and ecological outcomes indicated by the model to local communities and industries.