Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
This chapter opens with a brief analysis of the sustainability concept and an
account of the capacity for aquaculture systems to respond to environmental and
economic pressures. The chapter then describes certification schemes and some
of the international policy questions they raise, culminating in an account of the
Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) and its certification scheme.
5.2
Sustainable aquaculture
Since the objective of certification schemes is to promote sustainable practices,
it is worthwhile to consider what sustainable aquaculture, or more generally, sus-
tainable development, actually implies and how it might be objectively assessed.
The definition that is most commonly referred to is the one framed by the World
Commission on Environment and Development: sustainable development meets
the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future gen-
erations to meet their own needs (WCED 1987). Although this definition leaves
plenty of room for debate about the precise meaning of 'needs' it successfully
captures the essence of concern for sustainability, that is, the basic observation
that current trends in economic development and resource use cannot be sustained
indefinitely. Alternative definitions have been provided by Conway (1985): sus-
tainability is the ability of a system to maintain productivity in spite of a major
disturbance. And, in the case of sustainable agriculture, by Keeny (1989): agri-
cultural systems which are environmentally sound, profitable and productive and
maintain the social fabric of the rural community. By substituting the words 'aqua-
culture' for 'agriculture' and 'coastal' for 'rural', this last definition can also be
usefully applied to sustainable aquaculture - aquacultural systems that are environ-
mentally sound, profitable and productive and maintain the social fabric of coastal
communities.
Cornelissen (2003) makes the important point that the rationales underlying sus-
tainable development can be characterised as either anthropocentric or ecocentric.
An anthropocentric rationale considers sustainability to be a societal construct and
emphasises the acceptability of society as gauged by the quality of life that society
provides, for example, employment. An ecocentric rationale disputes such a sub-
jective basis and claims that sustainability refers objectively and exclusively to the
maintenance of life-support systems, that is, to the society preserving biological
and physico-chemical processes that maintain the conditions necessary for life on
earth. Those adhering to an ecocentric rationale may be reluctant to also consider
societal issues, as ecocentrism originates from the sense that anthropocentrism is
at the very root of current concern for sustainability. In short, subjective elements
are inherent in any definition of sustainability.
Apart from the question of what is meant by sustainability, there is also the
important question of how to measure it, such that different systems can be com-
pared, temporal changes monitored and improved management practices identified.
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