Governance of aquaculture water use

Abstract

Successful aquaculture depends on access to sufficient water of adequate quality, and should not significantly degrade water quality or damage ecosystems in receiving waters. While water management technologies have received a lot of attention as potential solutions, many of the outstanding challenges are collective-action problems that depend on improving aquaculture governance. In high-income countries, aquaculture is often subject to multiple regulations that constrain the development of the sector, whereas in most low- and middle-income countries, regulations are fewer, less demanding or not implemented. Many of the promising and innovative governance initiatives involve a combination of rules, information and incentives, as well as negotiation among multiple stakeholders.

Keywords:

• Governance
• aquaculture
• water use
• water quality
• innovation
• allocation
• regulation
• certification

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Boripat Lebel for editorial inputs and assistance with literature searches.