David WhitmarshDavid Whitmarsh

CEMARECEMARE

University of PortsmouthUniversity of Portsmouth

ECASA Meeting in Paris, April 2005ECASA Meeting in Paris, April 2005

Ecosystem Approach for Ecosystem Approach for Sustainable Aquaculture: Sustainable Aquaculture: the contribution of socio-the contribution of socio-

economicseconomics

Economy – environment interactions associated with Economy – environment interactions associated with aquacultureaquaculture

Economic drivers

• Demand• Innovation• Subsidies

Aquaculture

production

State of the marine environment

• Water quality

• Critical habitat

• Biodiversity

• Wild fish stocks

Socio-economic impact

• Incomes (fishing, tourism)

• Economic value of environmental assets

• Edible quality of farmed fish

• Human health

• Fishmeal supply

• Competition for resources and space

• Public attitudes

Responding institutions

• Ministries

• Consumers

• Manufacturers

Controls on fish farms

Demand for ecolabelled fish

Changed feed composition

Socio-economic indicators of aquaculture performanceSocio-economic indicators of aquaculture performance

ObjectiveObjective IndicatorIndicator

Supply Supply availabilityavailability

Total output of aquaculture products by country or regionTotal output of aquaculture products by country or region

Consumption of aquaculture products per capitaConsumption of aquaculture products per capita

Consumption of aquaculture products as % of total fish Consumption of aquaculture products as % of total fish consumedconsumed

Consumer prices for aquaculture productsConsumer prices for aquaculture products

Livelihood Livelihood securitysecurity

Total employment in aquaculture by country or regionTotal employment in aquaculture by country or region

Regional dependency ratiosRegional dependency ratios

Income per capita in aquacultureIncome per capita in aquaculture

Multiplier indicators of dependencyMultiplier indicators of dependency

Economic Economic efficiencyefficiency

Productivity ratiosProductivity ratios

Value added per unitValue added per unit

Profit per unitProfit per unit

Environmental damage costs per unitEnvironmental damage costs per unit

Policy response costs per unitPolicy response costs per unit

Producer prices for aquaculture productsProducer prices for aquaculture products

Social Social acceptabilityacceptability

Public attitudes towards the aquaculture sectorPublic attitudes towards the aquaculture sector

User conflictsUser conflicts

Obtaining and using socio-economic dataObtaining and using socio-economic data

• Published statisticsPublished statistics can be used as the basis for some can be used as the basis for some (but not all !) the indicators. E.g.(but not all !) the indicators. E.g.

FAO Fish Stat FAO Fish Stat OECDOECD Eurostat New Cronos databaseEurostat New Cronos database Federation of European Aquaculture ProducersFederation of European Aquaculture Producers• BUTBUT: official statistics can rarely be used ‘off-the-peg’.: official statistics can rarely be used ‘off-the-peg’.• Data transformationData transformation might typically involve: might typically involve: Converting € units to ‘real’ terms to adjust for inflationConverting € units to ‘real’ terms to adjust for inflation Constructing index numbers (e.g. weighted-aggregates)Constructing index numbers (e.g. weighted-aggregates)• Data are very limitedData are very limited in some key areas, notably in some key areas, notably

environmental damage costsenvironmental damage costs• Note ! Parameters derived from socio-economic data are Note ! Parameters derived from socio-economic data are

context-specificcontext-specific (i.e. they are NOT scientific constants). (i.e. they are NOT scientific constants). E.g Employment multiplier of fish farming in Scotland is E.g Employment multiplier of fish farming in Scotland is approx. 2.00. approx. 2.00.

Socio-economic indicators: basic measurement issuesSocio-economic indicators: basic measurement issues

• Socio-economic indicators should be:Socio-economic indicators should be: related to related to objectivesobjectives (e.g. as specified in policy (e.g. as specified in policy

documents)documents) functionallyfunctionally linked (I.e. identify cause-and-effect) linked (I.e. identify cause-and-effect) comprehensiblecomprehensible to users and non-specialists to users and non-specialists cost-effectivecost-effective to estimate to estimate• able to identify able to identify trade-offstrade-offs (e.g. will policies to improve (e.g. will policies to improve

environmental performance be at the expense of jobs ?) environmental performance be at the expense of jobs ?) • Note ! Most indicators are only meaningful when used Note ! Most indicators are only meaningful when used

comparativelycomparatively. The basis of comparison may:. The basis of comparison may: Normative. i.e. The performance of aquaculture is Normative. i.e. The performance of aquaculture is

compared with some standard or norm considered compared with some standard or norm considered ‘acceptable’. (e.g. environmental damage costs)‘acceptable’. (e.g. environmental damage costs)

Empirical. i.e. Observed performance is compared over Empirical. i.e. Observed performance is compared over time or between one country and another. (e.g. trends time or between one country and another. (e.g. trends in employment, etc.)in employment, etc.)

Aquaculture in the CZ: pressures and interactionsAquaculture in the CZ: pressures and interactions

• Socio-economic research within WP3:Socio-economic research within WP3:

• External influencesExternal influences on aquaculture production. To on aquaculture production. To include:include:

Economic analysis of demand, technological change, Economic analysis of demand, technological change, policies, etc.policies, etc.

Implications of emerging trends e.g. for fishmeal Implications of emerging trends e.g. for fishmeal demand and prices.demand and prices.

• Economic costsEconomic costs of marine pollution and environmental of marine pollution and environmental degradation. To include:degradation. To include:

Review of damage assessment methodologiesReview of damage assessment methodologies Causes of anthropogenic disturbance and empirical Causes of anthropogenic disturbance and empirical

estimates of environmental damages from various estimates of environmental damages from various sources sources

Externalities of aquaculture (e.g habitat loss, Externalities of aquaculture (e.g habitat loss, eutrophication, interactions with capture fisheries)eutrophication, interactions with capture fisheries)

Operational tools and modelsOperational tools and models

• Socio-economic research within WP4:Socio-economic research within WP4:

• Economic impact assessmentEconomic impact assessment. Models for evaluating the . Models for evaluating the impact of policy instruments and exogenous events on:impact of policy instruments and exogenous events on:

Financial performance of aquaculture producersFinancial performance of aquaculture producers Prices and markets for farmed (and wild caught) fish Prices and markets for farmed (and wild caught) fish Employment and output (e.g. multiplier effects)Employment and output (e.g. multiplier effects)• Public attitude measurementPublic attitude measurement. Survey-based approaches . Survey-based approaches

that will include: that will include: Methods for establishing the social acceptability of Methods for establishing the social acceptability of

aquaculture development and environmental aquaculture development and environmental performanceperformance

Preference elicitation measures based on multi-criteria Preference elicitation measures based on multi-criteria analysis (e.g. AHP)analysis (e.g. AHP)

Identification of factors determining attitudes and values Identification of factors determining attitudes and values