Coastal and maritime sectors are crucial for Europe’s prosperity and sustainable growth, accounting for 75% of external trade and 37% of EU trade, and have created 5.4 million jobs and generated €500 billion annually. Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is essential for long-term sustainability in Europe’s Blue Economy sectors, by balancing the spatial needs of maritime sectors with the need to preserve the functioning of marine ecosystems. European aquaculture is one of the major maritime economic activities (MEAs) of the EU’s Blue Growth agenda. Since 2014, Member States have been legally mandated to have maritime spatial plans in place by March 2021, with the freedom to develop their plans according to national priorities and situations. This has resulted in significant variations between countries, in terms of how they approach planning generally and how aquaculture is planned in particular. Some countries have allocated zones specifically for aquaculture development, whilst others take a policy-based approach, specifying principles for various maritime sectors. In parallel with progress on MSP policy, in terms of aquaculture policy, the EU has produced Strategic guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture for the period 2021 to 2030 (COM(201 /2021/236) aiming to produce nutritious, products with a low environmental and climate footprint, creating economic opportunities and jobs, and becoming a global reference for sustainability and quality. As such the guidelines identify four key areas where further work is needed. One of these relates to building resilience and competitiveness and accordingly necessitates access to space and water and a regulatory and administrative framework that is transparent and efficient.
This paper examines Ireland’s policy and practices regarding aquaculture, focusing on the National Marine Planning Framework and the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development (NSPSA) 2030 assessing how these necessities are addressed. An initial examination indicates that more emphasis is placed on the aquaculture licensing system, for example, than how Maritime Spatial Planning could be better utilized to allocate space to facilitate sectoral growth whereas in other EU Member States, high-production countries have been seen to allocate dedicated zones. Good practice does exist in Ireland but in the form of Coordinated Local Aquaculture Management Schemes (CLAMS) which exist for particular bays and inshore waters. How these could contribute to the objectives of MSP is also examined in this paper. Ireland’s aquaculture sector, worth €175 million in 2021, produces 40,000 tonnes of finfish and shellfish, employing 1,800 people mainly in rural areas. The sector has a high potential for sustainable jobs and growth but requires coordinated development in coastal and offshore Irish waters to avoid conflicts with other marine uses. The paper concludes with recommendations on how to modify management practices to achieve multiple policy goals.
Acknowledgements/Funding: This work is part of the EATFISH project (https://eatfish-msc.com/). EATFISH is a Marie Skłodowska–Curie Innovative Training Network funded by the EU (project number 956697).