A workshop of the EU Horizon 2020 project - Ecosystem Approach to making Space for Sustainable Aquaculture (633576 - AquaSpace) was held in Rongcheng, Shandong Province, China, on December 8-9, 2015. Project partners from Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Xunshan Fisheries Group, Institute of Marine Research (Norway) and Christian Michelsen Research AS (Norway) participated in this workshop.

Introduction to the project and the work package of case studies was made by Dr. LIU Hui, senior scientist of YSFRI. All partners made ppt presentations about their respective work on aquaculture carrying capacity and management, as well as aquaculture impact modeling and spatial planning tools and techniques, with particular reference to AkvaVis concept. Discussions and decisions were made on implementation of the project in China.

Distribution of case study sites for AquaSpace

As the world’s reliance on seafood increases, the AquaSpace consortium has embarked on a three-year project (2015-2018), to investigate how to provide increased space or optimize the existing space of high water quality for aquaculture, by adopting the Ecosystem Approach to Aquaculture (EAA) and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), so as to deliver food security and increased employment opportunities through economic growth. The AquaSpace project is led by Professor Kenny Black of the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS). This project brings together a global team of experts on aquaculture in the environment, from 22 research institutes and industry partners. The team will generate customized models and tools for scientific aquaculture spatial planning, by adopting RS, GPS and GIS technologies, and will look at case studies for aquaculture spatial planning across the world.

Group photo of AquaSpace workshop participants.

December 8, 2015, Rongcheng City, Shandong Province, China