AquaSpace Case Study Algarve Coast, Portugal: Issues and Tools The research leading to these results has been undertaken as part of the AquaSpace project (Ecosystem Approach to making Space for Aquaculture, http://aquaspace-h2020.eu) and has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation under grant agreement n° 633476. Horizon 2020

Algarve Coast Clarify offshore aquaculture licensing procedures and constrains. Identification of conflicts in coastal areas and contribution to spatial planning. Offshore aquaculture ideal area to test AQUASPACE tools. Source: www.eaquicultura.pt

Case study ISSUE Condensed description of the updated «Spatial planning and management issues” The most important issues in maximum 3 bullet points Licensing procedures Conflicts between activities Disease connectivity HAB’s Are the new offshore areas towards the EAA How the case study at national level relates to EU- policy framework (like the MSP directive and others) and EAA framework.

Tools used in the case study Including issues addressed by applying those tools... Stakeholder consultation (Interviews and questionnaire) Licensing procedure, Bureaucracy, Conflicts GIS (Geographical Information System) Established and available areas for offshore aquaculture Previous Projects that used relevant tools for the area (Coexist and Forward)

Questionnaire Questionnaire Stakeholders (Producers, Scientists, Maritime Governance, Politicians) Questionnaire

Direct interview (Regional Directorate) Stakeholders (Governance) Direct interviews with responsibles parties (Regional Directorates) to clarify the licensing procedure. Information session provided by Regional Directorates on the exceptional mortality of oysters, clams and cockles in the Algarve.

Stakeholder feedback and recommendations Constrains for aquaculture development Difficulty/slowness to obtain permissions Ineffective/Undeveloped regulations Priorities for aquaculture development Existence of contingency and biosecurity plans Regional programs of environmental monitoring To develop a specific spatial planning for the activity Existence of specific aquaculture insurances Main source of conflicts Fishing Conservation Tourism

Ecosystem Approach to Aquaculture Portugal Pillars of EAA Ecological sustainability Social equity Harmonisation of multiple uses Currently there is no clear-cut promotion of EAA in Portugal. New areas only for bivalves (reduced environmental impact?) Carrying capacity studies not mandatory (stock densities?) Forward & Coexist project fulfilled some aspects of EAA (Ecological sustainability)

Relevance to Aquaspace Case study issue AQUASPACE highly relevant in the ares due to the recent definition of large areas for offshore aquaculture, along the Algarve coast. Feedback and recommendations from stakeholders Overall EU policy and EAA frameworks

Relevance to Aquaspace Conflicts and public perceptions towards aquaculture Albufeira municipality rejects by unanimity the offshore aquaculture, in front of the local harbour. Referring that offshore aquaculture is against the public interest and tourism should be privileged. Date 15-02-2017 Sul Informação

Conflicts 25-08-2016 Albufeira municipality against the new areas established by government. - They favour the interests of fishers and touristic operators. 14-09-2016 -Fishermen in Olhão municipality are against the newly defined areas for aquaculture

Disease connectivity – Mass mortality 29-10-2015 - “Toxins” in Alvor: losses of 3 million euros and 20 jobs at oyster concessions 04-12-2015 - Farmers in Alvor will only restock farms after knowing what killed their last production 08-01-2016 - Claims that introduction of “French” oysters brought viruses to locally farmed clams

Final effort with Stakeholders Numbers Governance 6 Processing 3 Shellfish 7 Finfish 8 Associations 2