Federal and state legislation is increasingly demanding more stringent environmental controls on aquaculture activities and place the onus of proof for demonstrating environmental performance on the industry. In addition, regulation for and approval of aquaculture activities is increasingly directed through state EPAs. There is thus a regulatory imperative to defining the ESD sustainability indicators for the aquaculture industry.

Public perception of the industry as environmentally unsustainable is often not substantiated by scientific fact, but can have a detrimental affect on aquaculture development through objections to individual aquaculture planning applications. A negative public perception can also enhance the influence of uninformed pressure groups on Government policy development. This is a constraint to future development of the whole industry.

To address these two issues, there is a clear need to identify the issues related to various aquaculture sectors and develop protocols and frameworks through which organisations can demonstrate their compliance with environmental objectives. What is required is a national framework and standards for assessing the environmental performance of aquaculture. Additionally, industry needs to be equipped with practical tools and solutions for dealing with these issues.

The Standing Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture (SCFA) adopted an ESD framework for fisheries in 1998 and a FRDC/SCFA-funded project has undertaken a number of case studies using this framework. To date the focus of SCFA framework case studies has been on wild fisheries. This approach needs to be expanded to a broader range of stakeholders involved in aquaculture and fine-tuned to ensure it is appropriate for all aquaculture systems and sectors.

In addition, internationally benchmarked environmental management systems (such as ISO 14000) are options that should be explored to implement ESD frameworks and have already been developed for aquaculture sectors in other parts of the world (Gavine et al 1996, Boyd, 1999).

Advantages for the aquaculture industry in adopting the principles of ESD and documenting environmental performance include:

(1) Improved public perception of the industry;
(2) Reduction in waste and improved efficiency at site level;
(3) A competitive advantage in the market place if accreditation is used as a branding tool; and
(4) Ability to effectively engage new Government policies (such as Tradeable Emissions Policies).

This workshop will be the first step in bringing together the stakeholders to identify issues and develop practical solutions that will allow the Australian aquaculture industry to continue to develop in a sustainable manner.

Boyd, C. 1999. The aquaculture industry must learn to deal effectively with environmental issues, beginning with recognising the role of the different players involved. World Aquaculture 30 (2):10.
Gavine, F. M., Rennis, D. S. and Windmill, D. 1996. Implementing environmental management systems in the UK finfish aquaculture industry. J.C.I.W.E.M 10, October: 341-347.