Offshore Aquaculture – Challenges and Chances
The effects of climate change on the ecosystems and society reveal the need moving away from fossil to renewable energies such as wind or solar energy. Additionally, global food security as well as healthy marine ecosystems are at serious jeopardy as marine resource production can no longer be sustained by ecosystems and fisheries production only. One approach could be the potential of low trophic aquaculture (LTA) being conducted within in a multi-use (MU)-approach combined with renewable energy installations. This could reduce food and nutrition insecurity and at the same time maximises the benefits of marine space with low additional ecological impacts.
The installation of open ocean aquaculture systems within offshore wind farm sites, which are often in distant and exposed environments, requests different approaches for the development of those structures and different protocols for permissions.
In the framework of a case study site within the OLAMUR-Project (Offshore Low-trophic Aquaculture in Multi-Use scenario Realisation, EU Project ID 101094065) we are working on the development and deployment of aquaculture system-designs in a highly exposed and offshore location within an offshore wind farm, Meerwind Süd/Ost, located approximately 14 nautical miles north of Heligoland and 45 nm off the German coast (Cuxhaven). The first months of the logistics planning, administrative organisation for permits and development of structures clearly revealed that offshore aquaculture in a MU-approach means entering new ground. Here, we would like to briefly present the obstacles this project is confronted with and that aqua farmers probably will also be facing in the future. Activities offshore concerning aquaculture, scientific or commercial, will need new regulatory frameworks and protocols. Additionally, new aquaculture structures have to be developed to be sufficiently robust to cope with harsh environmental conditions but at the same time cost-efficient to allow a financially sustainable low trophic aquaculture production.