1. 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, and has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation under grant agreement n°
Horizon 2020

2. 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:

3. 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.

4. 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)

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

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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)

9. 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

10. 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 Sul Informação

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

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

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