RENEWAL OF THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR SCOTTISH AQUACULTURE
The Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture (SFSA) is being renewed in 2008.
Scottish Aquaculture - A Fresh Start was launched by Michael Russell, Minister for Environment on 13 August 2008. It is based on five themes and focuses on smarter regulation and making best use of science, research and development.
The five themes are:
Healthier farmed fish and shellfish;
Improved system for new fish and shellfish farm developments;
Less escapes from farms;
Better marketing of farmed fish and shellfish and improved image;
Finance for new developments
An Expert group on sites has already been established.
The consultation closed on 5 November and responses are currently being considered.
A new Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture is expected to be in place in Spring 2009.
THE CURRENT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR SCOTTISH AQUACULTURE
The Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture (SFSA) was published in March 2003 and based on four guiding principles; economic; environmental; social and stewardship. It is the main policy instrument to deliver a diverse, competitive but sustainable aquaculture industry in Scotland and provides a set of parameters within which industry can balance socio-economic benefits against environmental impact.
The framework was developed and is managed by the Ministerial Working Group on Aquaculture (MWGA). The group meets about twice a year includes industry and its main stakeholders and is chaired by the Minister for Environment. Progress is monitored through the SFSA (Appendix 3) Action Plan and reports on 36 priority actions and over 70 indicator stages. Progress is reported quarterly to MWGA and publicly every 12-18 months . The last update was at MWGA on 15 April 2008.
Working Groups were established to help deliver some of the priority actions for example; fish farm relocation; Fish Welfare and Waste Disposal. Notes of meetings can be accessed by clicking on the relevant group.
Over the lifetime of the framework there have been many achievements including; the establishment of the Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum (SARF); the delivery of an industry Code of Good Practice; local authority planning controls extended to marine aquaculture; improved EIA guidance and templates; an Aquaculture & Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 12); improved environmental modelling systems; establishment of a fish farm relocation grant scheme; development of High Level Indicators as a possible tool to measure sustainability of Aquaculture, and the publication of a Comparative Cost Study which focused on identifying structures and their associated costs for Scotland and its key competitors, Norway and Chile.