Abstract
G overnments, industry and civil society groups have developed a range of tools and mechanisms to guide and steer the sustainability of the rapidly expanding a quaculture sector. Many of these state and private mechanisms have focus on farm performance and legal/standard compliance , and set out technical criteria for improvement. While these components are important in understanding how aquaculture practices can be improved, there are limited insights in the ways in which collaborations between, and adaptive capacity of, both private and public actors affect the sustainability of the sector , and how these (inter-) actions impact regulatory and formal processes. We have developed the Aquaculture Governance Indicators (AGIs) to help identify potential gaps in existing governance systems and to provide guidance to the various state, industry and civil society actors . Together, the 26 AGIs form an integrated framework for assessing governance performance in any given country, based on four governance dimensions and three governance principles. The four governance dimensions (Legislation; Voluntary Codes and Standards; Collaborative Arrangements; and Governance Capabilities) allow for a systematic mapping of the governance landscape. The governance principles (Legitimacy; Effectuation; and Coordination) structure the analysis of the way roles and responsibilities are organized, how enforcement, monitoring and learning is effectuated, and the extent to which activities are aligned. The AGI s thus serve as a diagnostic and analytic tool, showing governance i s both a context and a means for improvement. Actionable insights from the AGIs can help to identify strengths and weaknesses in aquaculture governance of a given country , and thereby provide input for a conversation about gaps and improvement . We have finalized and published ten country assessments (see our website: www.aquaculturegovernance.org), capturing salmon producing countries, shrimp production in South-East Asia and aquaculture governance in China. Recently, we moved focus to Africa and currently conducting assessments in Uganda, Nigeria and Senegal .
Panellists/contributors:
Dr Hilde Toonen, Assistant Professor, Wageningen University, the Netherlands.
Dr Furqan Asif, Assistant Professor at Aalborg University, Denmark.
Ms Sandra Langi, Assistant Lecturer (Aquaculture) at Muni University, Uganda.
Dr John Walakira, Director of Research at National Agricultural Research Organization, Uganda; President World Aquaculture Society, Africa Chapter.
Mr Rolando Ibarra, Senior Fellow on Aquaculture Sustainability at Monterey Bay Aquarium, US/Chile.