1. AquaSpace Case Study Normandy and Cancale, France: 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, and has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation under grant agreement n°
Horizon 2020

2. Where? Ecosystem services
Huge shellfish aquaculture activity (400 companies) vs. weak fish marine aquaculture (2 companies)
High patrimonial value implying various issues on environmental protections (marine habitats, seabirds, marine mammals, invasive species…)
Numerous other usages (fisheries, agriculture, tourism, nuclear power plants, sand gravel extraction, fuel processing industries, projects of offshore renewable energy)
Coastline length of ca. 450 km

3. Spatial planning and management issues regarding aquaculture
Case study ISSUE
Spatial planning and management issues regarding aquaculture
Need to comply with environmental protections
Potential conflicts of use with recreational fisheries on intertidal areas, with other usages in open waters
Usage conflicts related to the acceptability of aquaculture activity by society (even stronger for fish aquaculture)
How the case study at national level relates to EU- policy framework and EAA framework
Translation of EU MSP Directive into National Strategy for the Sea and the Coastline (2012 Decree)
Implementation for each of the 4 maritime regions through Strategic Documents
Complementary to sectoral policies: Departmental Structure Plans and Regional Plans for Marine Aquaculture Development

4. Tools used in the case study
Development of SISAQUA derived from the Norwegian application AkvaVis
Dynamic web application based under GIS and provided with a user interface
Focuses essentially on shellfish culture at the moment
Relies on several types of data:
Data collected or specifically produced by Ifremer: model outputs, remote sensing, habitat maps…
Data produced by other organisms (visualization through WMS)
Building of indicators for site selection for shellfish aquaculture (oyster, mussel)

5. Indicator of suitability
Currents
Mussel DFM

6. Ongoing activities (2017)
Implementation of SISAQUA into Sextant
Infrastructure developed by
Ifremer to manage georeferenced
data
Integration of new data from public administrations (areas of fisheries, matter extraction, renewable energy… )
Proposition of new indicators in agreement with stakeholders (meeting planned before summer 2017)
Wishes to integrate marine fish aquaculture

7. Stakeholder feedback and recommendations
Meeting in March 2016
Need to simplify administrative procedures and to clarify the decision making process
Need to make information visible and available
Need to improve communication with society: social acceptability
Need a political willingness to develop aquaculture at global and local scales

8. Relevance to Aquaspace
To maintain existing aquaculture activities
To develop (sustainably) new aquaculture activities in cohabitation with other usages
Implementation of MSP Directive: good timing to bring scientific knowledge, to create communication and to be part of public debate
Necessity to include stakeholders beforehand