Defining Nature-Based Solutions Within the Blue Economy: The Example of Aquaculture

Hughes, Adam D.

doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.711443

Cited by 16 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Economically, the blue economy is a powerhouse. It encompasses a wide array of sectors, including fisheries, aquaculture, shipping, tourism, renewable energy, and biotechnology, offering the potential for substantial economic growth and job creation [15][16][17][18]. By tapping into the vast resources of the seas, countries can diversify their economies and reduce their dependence on land-based resources.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Navigating Sustainable Development in ASEAN: A Comprehensive Review of the Blue Economy’s Essential Questions

Setiawan

2023

BIO Web Conf.

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This paper explains five essential aspects related to the development of Blue Economy. The study delves into the dynamic realm of the blue economy, where marine resources and activities hold immense potential for ASEAN sustainable development. Through the lens of five essential questions, this study navigates the uncharted waters of economic, environmental, political, legal, and socio-cultural facets inherent to this burgeoning domain by reviewing 35 related literatures on blue economy discourses. By addressing these pivotal questions, we navigate towards a horizon of findings and review results where the blue economy emerges as an emblem of prosperity, ecological stewardship, and a harmonious ASEAN community poised for a sustainable future.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Navigating Sustainable Development in ASEAN: A Comprehensive Review of the Blue Economy’s Essential Questions

Setiawan

2023

BIO Web Conf.

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“…For instance, how aquaculture development can best fulfill its promise in terms of contribution to food security and economic growth (Costello et al, 2020) requires reconsideration of the assumptions behind its continued growth and, therefore, also the type of aquaculture that needs to be promoted to address specific societal challenges (Sumaila et al, 2022). Another example is that of climate mitigation and adaptation, which may require specifically-designed aquaculture systems (Hughes, 2021), such as a "climate-smart aquaculture" system (Dabbadie et al, 2018;Soto et al, 2018;Galappaththi et al, 2020) that is also oriented toward improved community well-being (Campbell et al, 2021), or one that pays greater attention to human rights and the labor rights of its workers (Brugere et al, 2023) for it to be considered as satisfying Criterion 1.…”

Section: What Is Aquaculture's Relevance To Key Societal Challenges?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, as proposed by Criterion 4's indicators, economic viability and feasibility assessment must rely on the critical evaluation of how economic benefits are obtained and shared among the stakeholders involved. NbS Criterion 4 brings up the discussion of what may be considered a truly viable economic aquaculture system that considers social issues (Hughes, 2021), although the terms "inclusiveness" and "equity" are not explicitly mentioned in the Criterion's indicators. Criterion 4 also implies that positive and negative externalities must be fully identified and measured despite the difficulty of doing so due to insufficient economic data, in particular at a sub-national level (Mikkelsen et al, 2021).…”

Section: What Is the Economic Viability Of Aquaculture Operationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While the conceptual and operational frameworks for NbS are being adopted and show promise in coastal, urban, and agricultural systems (Nesshöver et al, 2017;Raymond et al, 2017;IUCN, 2020b), they have very rarely been considered in the case of aquaculture systems. In principle, the NbS concept and the IUCN Global Standard for NbS ™ could support the sustainable development of aquaculture, within "blue economy" goals (Hughes, 2021). le Gouvello et al (2022) reviewed the NbS concept and the IUCN Global Standard for NbS ™ in relation to existing and prevailing sustainability concepts and approaches for aquaculture.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions™ as a tool for enhancing the sustainable development of marine aquaculture

et al. 2023

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This paper applies the IUCN Global Standard for Nature based Solutions™ self-assessment tool (published in 2020) to two aquaculture case studies. Data from the case studies were compiled by the authors. In Zanzibar, secondary data were obtained through a previous project, which included a stakeholder workshop in Zanzibar (in 2019) and one deliverable published by the IUCN on Zanzibar of their catalogue “Aquaculture and Marine Conservation”. In Indonesia, the original data were provided by the Blue Natural Capital Funding Facility (BNCFF) and the associated local teams. The analysis of the data, the information provided, and the scoring itself were done by the authors, in association with local teams in both areas. The results of the two assessments, discussed in the paper and presented in detail in the Supplementary materials, can be considered original research, never previously published in a scientific journal. The concept of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) was proposed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to protect, restore, and sustainably manage natural and modified ecosystems for achieving a variety of societal benefits. The IUCN released the IUCN Global Standard for NbS™ to help design, assess, strengthen, and upscale NbS interventions. In the current context of growing uncertainties for the future of coastlines and oceans, aquaculture has been recognized as a positive activity for achieving sustainable development in coastal communities; supporting food security, poverty alleviation, and economic resilience; and contributing to the conservation of marine ecosystems in some cases. However, the sustainability of aquaculture systems has often been criticized. Aquaculture initiatives in coastal areas can achieve both nature conservation and sustainable development objectives, but reflection on the conditions under which this would happen is needed. This article examines aquaculture systems through the lens of the NbS concept and the IUCN Global Standard for NbS™, along with other sustainability concepts and instruments currently used in the context of aquaculture. The application of the IUCN Global Standard for NbS™’s to two case studies is explored: seaweed farming in Zanzibar in marine conservation areas and shrimp farming coupled with mangrove restoration in Indonesia. The results show that the NbS concept underpinning the IUCN Global Standard for NbS™ could help in the overall assessment of aquaculture systems and improve their sustainability by highlighting both their positive outcomes and issues requiring further examination in relation to marine biodiversity benefits, socio-economic development, and/or governance. The IUCN Global Standard for NbS™ could provide an operational framework to implement existing concepts, such as the Ecosystem Approach to Aquaculture, contribute to clarifying critical issues in aquaculture development, and provide guidance for the development of a new type of aquaculture project, specifically designed as NbS. This finding advocates the context-dependent exploration and promotion of aquaculture projects as NbS.

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“…In an scenario where approximately 16% of the world's tidal flats have been lost in the past 30 years (Murray et al, 2019) driving worldwide declines of shorebird populations and where seaweed farming is expected to increase globally (Froehlich et al, 2019; Hughes, 2021), it is critical to understand how habitats are transformed by this activity. To measure the potential changes in habitat‐use patterns by different species will allow to direct ecological applications for commercial seaweed management.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does experimental seaweed cultivation affect benthic communities and shorebirds? Applications for extensive aquaculture

Martínez‐Curci

Fierro

Navedo

2023

Ecological Applications

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Extensive seaweed aquaculture is a growing industry expected to expand globally due to its relatively low impact and benefits in the form of ecosystem services. However, seaweeds are ecosystem engineers that may alter coastal environments by creating complex habitats on previously bare mudflats. These changes may scale up to top-consumers, particularly migratory shorebirds, species of conservation concern that regulate trophic webs at these habitats. Understanding how habitats are transformed and how this affects different species is critical to direct ecological applications for commercial seaweed management. We experimentally assessed through a Before-After Control-Impact design the potential changes exerted by Gracilaria chilensis farming on bare mudflats on the abundance, biomass, and assemblage structure of benthic macroinvertebrates, and their scaled-up effects on shorebirds' habitat use and prey consumption. As predicted, experimental cultivation of G. chilensis significantly affects different components of biodiversity that scale-up from lower to upper trophic levels. The total biomass of benthic macroinvertebrates increased with seaweed cultivation and remained high for at least 2 months after harvest, boosted by an increase in the median size of polychaetes, particularly Nereids. Tactile-foraging shorebirds tracked these changes at the patch level increasing their abundance and spending more time foraging at seaweed cultivated plots. These results suggest that seaweed farming has the potential to impact shorebird populations by favoring tactile-foraging species which could lead to a competitive disadvantage to species that rely on visual cues. Therefore, the establishment of new seaweed farms in bare mudflats at key sites for shorebirds must be planned warranting habitat heterogeneity (i.e., cultivated and non-cultivated areas) at the landscape level and based on a previous experimental approach to account for local characteristics. Fostering properly designed extensive seaweed farming over other aquaculture industries with greater negative environmental impacts would provide benefits for human well-being and for ecosystem functions.

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Defining Nature-Based Solutions Within the Blue Economy: The Example of Aquaculture

Cited by 16 publications

References 46 publications

Navigating Sustainable Development in ASEAN: A Comprehensive Review of the Blue Economy’s Essential Questions

Navigating Sustainable Development in ASEAN: A Comprehensive Review of the Blue Economy’s Essential Questions

The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions™ as a tool for enhancing the sustainable development of marine aquaculture

Does experimental seaweed cultivation affect benthic communities and shorebirds? Applications for extensive aquaculture

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