Final Report Summary - SAMI (Synthesis of Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems Interactions)
During the last decade many European projects dealt with environmental issues of marine aquaculture and knowledge in this field expanded significantly. However, most of the results were not readily accessible and an overview and synthesis of the most important environmental issues was lacking. As such, it was difficult to incorporate the produced knowledge into the environmental requirements of the European Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
The SAMI project aimed to fill the gap of knowledge synthesis through the mobilisation of experts' interaction and discussion on the achieved progress and future perspectives. In addition, the outcomes of the synthesis were to be disseminated in different levels. The project main objectives were thus the following:
1. provision of the state of the art on environmental issues of marine aquaculture in Europe;
2. development of principles and advices towards the integration of the environmental requirements into the CFP;
3. clarification of gaps in current knowledge in order to form future directions for the European research policy and
4. understanding of the perspectives regarding the sustainable development of marine aquaculture in Europe.
SAMI was structured in three work packages (WPs) related to support activities and a WP for the project management. The first WP dealt with the organisation and implementation of a workshop for experts in the field of environmental issues of marine fish farming in Europe. The second WP focused on the synthesis of the workshop for a scientific audience. The objective of the third WP was to publish a book for a wider audience on the state of the art knowledge in the field based on contributions of participants in the expert workshop.
The growth of aquaculture and its future role as human food supplier has environmental, social and economic limitations and affects marine ecosystems and socioeconomic scales from local to global. With regard to regulation and present time monitoring, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) was of importance for the regulation of aquaculture and other human activities in the coastal zone. The SAMI project clarified understanding on eutrophication and provided an insight into water quality models as they were expected to be used in the WFD. Moreover, it analysed the differences in monitoring schemes between various countries and focused on aquaculture management as an integrated part of the marine ecosystem, which imposed the need for management activities not only in the cages vicinity but also in larger scales of the coastal zone.
In addition, SAMI discussed possible future solutions to the genetic interactions between farmed and wild fish. The project also examined the possibilities of maintenance of the composition of the cultured fish product while reducing dependence on fishery derived feedstock and attempted to define future options for innovative approaches to feedstock availability.
Moreover, SAMI examined other limiting factors of the industry, related to attitudinal issues, to the industry economic development, to organisations concerns on the activities' environmental and social impacts and to public and consumers' attitudes and legislation. Finally, the past development in the economics of the aquaculture industry was analysed and, based on this analysis, future trends were predicted.
The SAMI project aimed to fill the gap of knowledge synthesis through the mobilisation of experts' interaction and discussion on the achieved progress and future perspectives. In addition, the outcomes of the synthesis were to be disseminated in different levels. The project main objectives were thus the following:
1. provision of the state of the art on environmental issues of marine aquaculture in Europe;
2. development of principles and advices towards the integration of the environmental requirements into the CFP;
3. clarification of gaps in current knowledge in order to form future directions for the European research policy and
4. understanding of the perspectives regarding the sustainable development of marine aquaculture in Europe.
SAMI was structured in three work packages (WPs) related to support activities and a WP for the project management. The first WP dealt with the organisation and implementation of a workshop for experts in the field of environmental issues of marine fish farming in Europe. The second WP focused on the synthesis of the workshop for a scientific audience. The objective of the third WP was to publish a book for a wider audience on the state of the art knowledge in the field based on contributions of participants in the expert workshop.
The growth of aquaculture and its future role as human food supplier has environmental, social and economic limitations and affects marine ecosystems and socioeconomic scales from local to global. With regard to regulation and present time monitoring, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) was of importance for the regulation of aquaculture and other human activities in the coastal zone. The SAMI project clarified understanding on eutrophication and provided an insight into water quality models as they were expected to be used in the WFD. Moreover, it analysed the differences in monitoring schemes between various countries and focused on aquaculture management as an integrated part of the marine ecosystem, which imposed the need for management activities not only in the cages vicinity but also in larger scales of the coastal zone.
In addition, SAMI discussed possible future solutions to the genetic interactions between farmed and wild fish. The project also examined the possibilities of maintenance of the composition of the cultured fish product while reducing dependence on fishery derived feedstock and attempted to define future options for innovative approaches to feedstock availability.
Moreover, SAMI examined other limiting factors of the industry, related to attitudinal issues, to the industry economic development, to organisations concerns on the activities' environmental and social impacts and to public and consumers' attitudes and legislation. Finally, the past development in the economics of the aquaculture industry was analysed and, based on this analysis, future trends were predicted.
