Vision for sustainable aquaculture

6 Enabling the Vision

Progress towards realising the Vision outcomes will be facilitated by two key enabling factors: Innovation and Regulation.

6.1 Innovation

New technology and approaches, underpinned by sound science, have the potential to unlock opportunities in productivity, improved health and welfare and reductions in adverse environmental impact. Innovation can help to find solutions that deliver across these priorities and promote solutions that move away from historic trade-offs.

The innovation process must be effective to produce solutions to sector challenges. Cooperative and multi-disciplinary research undertaken by parties such as Scotland’s research institutes, innovative businesses and public bodies, working together with aquaculture producers can help achieve this. The Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre and the Sustainable Aquaculture Forum^[11] enable knowledge exchange and promote collaboration that can continue to support the development of crucial research, development and innovation capacity in Scottish Aquaculture.

Effective research and development can improve our understanding and increase the sector’s resilience to current and emerging issues. For example, by minimising environmental impact and increasing biodiversity, reducing emissions and adapting to climate change, improving health and welfare, whilst continuing to deliver economic and social opportunities for Scotland.

For innovation to be an effective enabler, all stakeholders should encourage the deployment and monitoring of an increasing number of demonstrably effective technologies and approaches which can be scaled-up for application. Efforts to address barriers to upscaling of new approaches and technologies are vital to facilitate more commercially viable applied innovations.

By focusing on development in this way, Scotland will increasingly be recognised as a centre of aquaculture innovation excellence, creating opportunities for inward investment. A collaborative approach between Scotland and international partners will enable new approaches and technology to be adopted in Scotland while helping secure opportunities to increase the export of intellectual property products, technologies and expertise in aquaculture.

6.2 Regulation

Effective and efficient regulation, informed by the best available science and evidence, will support the sustainable development of the aquaculture sector by ensuring development takes place within environmental limits and with due regard given to animal health and welfare, wildlife, marine users and the communities that host and support aquaculture businesses.

Regulatory processes will be streamlined and targeted to achieve high standards whilst continually seeking innovative ways to minimise the associated administrative burden for businesses and regulators.

Regulators will continually review standards within the context of the best available science and evidence, to ensure regulation remains proportionate and consistent whilst having the mechanisms in place to take effective enforcement action where necessary.

Information on aquaculture regulatory performance and requirements will be clear and accessible. Data on compliance assessment and guidance on all regulations that govern the aquaculture sector will be made publicly accessible online for existing businesses, new entrants into the sector, communities and all other interested parties.