David Whitmarsh CEMARE University of Portsmouth ECASA Meeting in Paris, April 2005 Ecosystem Approach for Sustainable Aquaculture: the contribution of socio-economics

Economy – environment interactions associated with aquaculture Economic drivers Demand Innovation Subsidies Aquaculture production State of the marine environment Water quality Critical habitat Biodiversity Wild fish stocks Socio-economic impact Incomes (fishing, tourism) Economic value of environmental assets Edible quality of farmed fish Human health Fishmeal supply Competition for resources and space Public attitudes Responding institutions Ministries Consumers Manufacturers Controls on fish farms Demand for ecolabelled fish Changed feed composition

Socio-economic indicators of aquaculture performance ObjectiveIndicator Supply availability Total output of aquaculture products by country or region Consumption of aquaculture products per capita Consumption of aquaculture products as % of total fish consumed Consumer prices for aquaculture products Livelihood security Total employment in aquaculture by country or region Regional dependency ratios Income per capita in aquaculture Multiplier indicators of dependency Economic efficiency Productivity ratios Value added per unit Profit per unit Environmental damage costs per unit Policy response costs per unit Producer prices for aquaculture products Social acceptability Public attitudes towards the aquaculture sector User conflicts

Obtaining and using socio-economic data Published statistics can be used as the basis for some (but not all !) the indicators. E.g. Published statistics can be used as the basis for some (but not all !) the indicators. E.g.  FAO Fish Stat  OECD  Eurostat New Cronos database  Federation of European Aquaculture Producers BUT: official statistics can rarely be used ‘off-the-peg’. BUT: official statistics can rarely be used ‘off-the-peg’. Data transformation might typically involve: Data transformation might typically involve:  Converting € units to ‘real’ terms to adjust for inflation  Constructing index numbers (e.g. weighted-aggregates) Data are very limited in some key areas, notably environmental damage costs Data are very limited in some key areas, notably environmental damage costs Note ! Parameters derived from socio-economic data are context- specific (i.e. they are NOT scientific constants). E.g Employment multiplier of fish farming in Scotland is approx Note ! Parameters derived from socio-economic data are context- specific (i.e. they are NOT scientific constants). E.g Employment multiplier of fish farming in Scotland is approx

Socio-economic indicators: basic measurement issues Socio-economic indicators should be: Socio-economic indicators should be:  related to objectives (e.g. as specified in policy documents)  functionally linked (I.e. identify cause-and-effect)  comprehensible to users and non-specialists  cost-effective to estimate able to identify trade-offs (e.g. will policies to improve environmental performance be at the expense of jobs ?) able to identify trade-offs (e.g. will policies to improve environmental performance be at the expense of jobs ?) Note ! Most indicators are only meaningful when used comparatively. The basis of comparison may: Note ! Most indicators are only meaningful when used comparatively. The basis of comparison may:  Normative. i.e. The performance of aquaculture is compared with some standard or norm considered ‘acceptable’. (e.g. environmental damage costs)  Empirical. i.e. Observed performance is compared over time or between one country and another. (e.g. trends in employment, etc.)

Aquaculture in the CZ: pressures and interactions Socio-economic research within WP3: Socio-economic research within WP3: External influences on aquaculture production. To include: External influences on aquaculture production. To include:  Economic analysis of demand, technological change, policies, etc.  Implications of emerging trends e.g. for fishmeal demand and prices. Economic costs of marine pollution and environmental degradation. To include: Economic costs of marine pollution and environmental degradation. To include:  Review of damage assessment methodologies  Causes of anthropogenic disturbance and empirical estimates of environmental damages from various sources  Externalities of aquaculture (e.g habitat loss, eutrophication, interactions with capture fisheries)

Operational tools and models Socio-economic research within WP4: Socio-economic research within WP4: Economic impact assessment. Models for evaluating the impact of policy instruments and exogenous events on: Economic impact assessment. Models for evaluating the impact of policy instruments and exogenous events on:  Financial performance of aquaculture producers  Prices and markets for farmed (and wild caught) fish  Employment and output (e.g. multiplier effects) Public attitude measurement. Survey-based approaches that will include: Public attitude measurement. Survey-based approaches that will include:  Methods for establishing the social acceptability of aquaculture development and environmental performance  Preference elicitation measures based on multi-criteria analysis (e.g. AHP)  Identification of factors determining attitudes and values