The scientific principles underlying the monitoring of the environmental impacts of aquaculture

This paper provides a critical review of the main issues regarding the scie ntific principles underlying environmental monitoring of marine aquaculture operations and makes recommendations relevant to the implementation of bes t practice for the management of aquaculture in Europe. Given that a variet y of cultured species and approaches are adopted in Europe, it is not possi ble, or indeed desirable, to devise prescriptive guidelines. Instead, this paper reviews how science informs monitoring and provides a framework for t he development of a monitoring strategy of marine aquaculture operations th at is flexible enough to be applicable to a variety of locations, species a nd situations. Traditionally environmental monitoring has concentrated on a few key physic al and chemical variables and organisms. The trend now, however, is towards whole-system environmental assessment (e.g. CEC 2000; Osparcom 1998), incl uding considerations of the assimilative capacity of specific systems and t heir ability to absorb and dilute perturbations. Against this background th is paper addresses the following specific objectives: review of the rationale and scientific principles underlying current enviro nmental monitoring with specific reference to marine aquaculture; evaluation of the links between monitoring and regulatory criteria, specifi cally consideration of environmental quality objectives and environmental q uality standards, and the role of environmental impact assessments assessment of the role of codes of best conduct and practice, and environme ntal management systems in the management of aquaculture operations. The paper concludes by proposing a set of recommendations which will contri bute towards the sustainable management of aquaculture operations, through the implementation of a more focused approach to environmental monitoring.