aquacultureinthecoastalzonepressures,interactionsand（19页）.docVIP

Aquaculture in the coastal zone: pressures, interactions and externalities David Whitmarsh and Gianna Palmieri CEMARE, University of Portsmouth Introduction Aquaculture worldwide has grown rapidly, but there is concern over its environmental impact and sustainability. Within Europe there are quite marked regional variations in the intensity of marine aquaculture (Table 1), and the fact that this occurs in areas where there is already pressure on coastal resources from competing activities suggests that the scope for conflict is considerable. In this paper, the DPSIR (Driving forces – Pressure – State – Impact - Response) framework is used to explore the issues and to suggest policy solutions. In formulating policy it needs to be understood that marine aquaculture not only creates externalities but is also the ‘victim’ of external costs generated elsewhere by other activities in the CZ. The next section reviews the evidence relating to externalities caused by marine environmental disturbance, and provides the context for the more specific focus on aquaculture which follows. The contextual discussion is important for two reasons. Firstly, it highlights the fact that externalities associated with the exploitation of marine and coastal resources typically arise from multiple activities, amongst which aquaculture is but one. To study aquaculture in isolation is therefore misleading. Secondly, in order to gauge whether aquaculture causes environmental damage to the marine environment it is helpful to have knowledge of what is at risk; in other words, we need to know how valuable marine resources are and to what extent that value is impacted by fish farming. Several published studies have attempted to place an economic value the marine environment, and these will be reviewed. Externalities caused by marine environmental disturbance: an overview The marine environment provides goods and services, which support economic activities and the welfare of individual