1. AquaSpace Case Study Basque County, Spain: 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?
80 km length
1000 km2 up to 100 depth
Intense and diverse activities
Deep decay of fishing activity
Goverment is seeking diversification of activities: Renewables, and aquaculture
Aquaculture is not implemented at industrial production level.
Pilot production and the estimations were calculated in two year experiment with submerged longlines with mussel M. galloprovincialis.
Estimated average annual production:  tons ha-1.
Estimated total average annual production: 1,820-2,340 tons.
Due to technical limitations (oceanographic and environmental issues) open sea aquaculture is not stablished in the Cantabrian sea. First case study.
Activity strategy: Local government promoted small production, limited economic impact activity, but high quality and differentiated product seeking diversification of maritime activities and local fishermen involvement.

3. Case study ISSUE
Condensed description of the updated «Spatial planning and management issues”
At present, sectoral and strategic plans for different sectors (not integrated planning).
Competence for space. Mainly between the new ones prioritized by the government (i.e. aquaculture, renewables, underwater cables) and traditional (e.g. artisanal fisheries).
The most important issues in maximum 3 bullet points
Production related (environmental limitations and suitable cultivation system + cultivated species + market).
Conflicts of use and aceptance (mainly from traditional users).
Licensing process.
How the case study at national level relates to EU- policy framework (like the MSP directive and others) and EAA framework
MSP directive is in transposition process but it is foreseen that local authorities will have to deliver information regarding to present maritime activities and probably, their own proposal of sea space ordination plan
WFD monitoring by the local government
EAA framework is not cited in the strategic plan of the Basque government but could be considered to be fulfilled
MSFD and Birds & Habs. Dir. By the national government.

4. Tools used in the case study
Type
Task
Issues addressed
Multibeam echosounder
Technical
Seafloor mapping
and characterisation for site selection
Mooring design, cultivation area size and shape, sediment characteristics for EIA
Hydrodynamic models
Site selection
Exposure to wave and currents.
Adequacy of the area to host submerged longlines
Longlines design
Environmental and cultivated species monitoring
and
Environmental
Species selection
Licensing
Production capacity
EIA
Economic viability
Market
Product quality and food health requirements compliance
GIS
Technical, socioeconomic
Integration of different data sources
Identification of constraints , legislation
Assessment of conflicts of use
Bayesian Belief Network
Socioeconomic impact
Conflicts of use
Assess the spatial conflict between offshore aquaculture and artisanal fishing and the identification of suitable areas to relocate the fishing activity
Aquaspace tool
Technical, environmental, economic
Site identification
On going

5. Aquaspace tool Which issue is tackled in application of the tool?
1.- Intersectorial:
Offshore aquaculture as a new activity in the study area
Interactions and conflicts of use of space by artisanal fisheries (mainly)
2.- Economic:
Cost/Benefit of aquaculture as a new economic activity and its impact in local communities and other existing activities
Direct economic revenue
Desired output
Operational tool: for researchers, academia (students)
Reporting for industry, administration and decision makers
Research question:
Is it performing in accordance with the selected zone?
Is the tool useful for the identification of new areas for mussel production in the Cantabrian sea?
Scenarios to be tested
Local scale
Run it in our case study, based on suitability and conflict matrixes: check if the predefined area is also highlighted with the tool
Use high resolution information (i.e. socioeconomic and environmental) (1 km x 1 km)
Broad-scale (Cantabrian sea, nothern coast of Spain)
Extend the geographical area of the Aquaspace tool implementation to identify other suitable areas in the Spanish northern coast (i.e. use European scale publically accessible information layers)
Offshore aquaculture has not been held and this will be the first time in which we will try to identify suitable areas

6. Stakeholder feedback and recommendations
Solve the conflicts with other uses and sectors.
MSP is seen by stakeholders as a good framework that would help the promotion of aquaculture activity.
Spatial Planning should be developed taking into account social, environmental and economic criteria, aiming, if possible, consensus among users.
It is necessary the declaration of zones of aquaculture interest in which this activity would be prioritized.
Consider spaces planned for aquaculture as limits for strictly protected areas, where fishing activity is banned.
Coordinated actions and decisions should be promoted where the negatively affected sectors could be identified in an early stage and involved in the project to minimize negative impacts of decisions, and if possible to get profit from it.
Aquaculture activity should be located away from ports and recreational zones where they can interfere with bathers.

7. Relevance to Aquaspace
Case study issue
Optimisation of space. Identification of areas for the establishment of aquaculture as a new activity. Diversification of marine activities and minimisation of conflicts of use.
Economic assessment
Feedback and recommendations from stakeholders
AquaSpace is producing interesting and valuable information for them.
Developed tools are useful. Main issues are considered. Nevertheless, they find them difficult to use.
Overall EU policy and EAA frameworks
CS work is being performed under MSP framework. Outputs will assist management plans development
EEA framework is somehow accomplished in the case study. Mainly because, an aquaculture strategy framework was stablished (scope, identification of issues, stakeholders consultation, and the establishment of operational objectives) and the licensing process, was requiring a management plan, environmental monitoring, carrying capacity calculation for EIA.
At present, we are in the phase of monitoring of compliance of the stablished operational targets and economic viability of the production to assess its economic profitability. Based on that, the strategic plan might need a review.