Sharing rights, risks, benefits and responsibilities in line with the Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture

12/08/2024

When authorities and stakeholders join forces to co-manage risks and resources in aquaculture, the sector can become more socially, environmentally and economically sustainable, according to the new FAO Guidebook for developing co-management systems.

“Aquaculture co-management or ACM involves collaborative decision-making and gives voice to all, including small-scale farmers,” says FAO Senior Fishery Officer KwangSuk Oh.

“ACM is essential to help drive responsible aquaculture practices in pursuit of the 2030 Agenda for the benefit of current and future generations,” he adds.

ACM is in line with the new FAO Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture (GSA), which call for equitable benefit sharing, environmental stewardship, and consultation and participation, among other principles.

What it is

Aquaculture co-management is an arrangement in which authorities share rights and responsibilities with stakeholders, who are empowered to engage in joint decision-making at both ecosystem and farm scales.

It gives a voice to all by providing a common platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and joint problem-solving.

The new Guidebook describes possible types of ACM, as well as strategic and operational goals and best practices for implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The aim is to develop adaptive approaches for inclusive, legitimate and innovative aquaculture that contributes to sustainable aquatic food systems.

Aquaculture co-management is a set of strategic and operational collaborative arrangements that enable equitable participation in shared yet differentiated decision-making between public agencies and producers, as well as civil society, supporting services, and other stakeholders along the value chain. These actors share responsibility, rights and benefits over how, where and when shared and equitable management of resources and risks are practiced. (Adapted from FAO. 2023. Report of the Expert Workshop on Aquaculture Co-Management. Hybrid meeting, Kigali, Rwanda, 8–10 June 2022. Rome.)

“Collaboration and cooperation are essential components of successful aquaculture co-management initiatives. Shared goals, transparent processes, and adaptive management practices are key to seizing opportunities for the aquaculture sector and the people it serves,” explains Wageningen University Professor Simon Bush, who authored the new ACM guidebook.

“Co-management empowers stakeholders to collectively address challenges and make informed decisions,” he adds.

How it works

While each context differs in cultural, social, economic and environmental terms, establishing co-management arrangements in aquaculture is generally based on three steps: pre-implementation, implementation and post-implementation.

Each of these steps corresponds to specific activities, such as, for example, community outreach, identifying resources, capacity building, and monitoring and evaluation at every stage of the process.

However, as the Guidebook points out, there is no blueprint for co-management because its collaborative nature means it will be designed to suit the specific needs of each context and community.

Why we need it

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food sectors and one that is critical to help feed a rapidly expanding world population that is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050.

It is also a provider of jobs and livelihoods for over 20 million people around the world and its products are highly traded commodities, fetching close to USD 300 billion in terms of first sale value in 2022, according to The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024.

However, the sustainable expansion and intensification of aquaculture in line with the FAO Blue Transformation vision faces many challenges. These include disease outbreaks, water pollution and the effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels, ocean acidification and extreme weather events.

Co-management helps both individual producers and the community at large because the shared nature of production risks and resources in aquaculture means farmers can rarely, if ever, act in isolation.

Indeed, almost all aquaculture systems are dependent on their social, economic and natural environments for shared resources such as land, water, seed, feed, broodstock, and nutrient recycling, according to the ACM guidebook.

“By aligning the interests of diverse stakeholders, co-management can drive the implementation of sustainable practices that benefit the environment, local communities, and the long-term viability of the aquaculture industry,” Bush explains.

In short, ACM can be a powerful tool to help countries and stakeholders achieve inclusive, equitable, resilient and responsible aquaculture systems that can help eradicate hunger, alleviate poverty, and contribute to sustainable development.

Further reading

Co-management in aquaculture: A collective effort towards sustainability

Expert workshop on the development of the Aquaculture Co-Management Guidebook

FAO Expert Workshop on Aquaculture Co-management