United Kingdom multiannual national plan for the development of sustainable aquaculture.

The present document is a multiannual sectoral national plan for the development of sustainable aquaculture in the UK. As the aquaculture policy in the UK is a devolved matter, with the separate administrations of Wales, England, Northern Ireland and Scotland responsible for its collective oversight, the elements of the UK approach vary to reflect differences in priorities and policy approaches.
The Plan reports that the Administrations in the UK have recognized the challenge that administrative and regulatory compliance presents to aquaculture growth, particularly in respect of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). There are a number of existing work areas within the UK focused on i) identifying regulations and administrative procedures which hamper growth and ii) considerations of options for deregulation and/or smarter implementation. However, the UK is not able to set quantified targets for the simplification of administrative burdens within this document: there are four devolved administrations, each with very different situations relating to their aquaculture sectors. Despite this difficulty, the core issues of adherence to the obligations of EU Directives, and lack of knowledge, expertise or industry support remain valid and overarching.
On a second heading, the Plan states that securing a sustainable development and growth of aquaculture can be done through coordinated spatial planning. The UK Marine Policy Statement (MPS) is the framework for preparing Marine Plans. By facilitating and supporting the formulation of Marine Plans, it contributes to the taking of decisions affecting the marine environment, thus ensuring that marine resources are used in a sustainable way. Again, it is not possible to quantify targets for the UK in relation to aquaculture and marine spatial planning, other than the aspirations and developments described above.
Another driver for the development of aquaculture in the UK is the development of its competitiveness, both in the context of local and international markets, which is being achieved through partnerships comprising administrations, growers and research bodies. The Plan reports on some of the existing initiatives, research bodies and partnerships which are helping to drive competitiveness of the sector: innovation and partnerships, co-location of production operations with renewable energy installations, key knowledge exchange forums. Although the UK’s ambition in terms of aquaculture innovation is significant, and builds upon a very high degree of existing expertise and activity, it is not possible to set detailed quantified targets for ‘outcomes’ in the context of partnerships and innovation.
The Plan further outlines the recognition that the UK Government and Devolved Administrations give to the value of market intelligence and marketing in improving the growth of the aquaculture industry and the role Producer Organizations can play in providing capacity and support to achieve these ends.
The plan has been consulted upon in all four parts of the UK, and feedback has been analyzed and incorporated in the plan, where appropriate. These processes have involved significant elements of stakeholder and public body consultation, including structured workshops in all the UK countries as well as many bilateral discussions with organizations and individuals. Another source of experienced contribution has come from members of the UK Programme Monitoring Committee for the European Fisheries Fund.