Coastal aquaculture development and the environment: the role of coastal area management

Abstract

The rapid expansion of coastal aquaculture has serious environmental and socioeconomic consequences, which include large-scale removal of valuable coastal wetlands, land subsidence, acidification, salinization of groundwater and agricultural land, and subsequent loss of goods and services generated by natural resource systems. Practices that are environmentally non-degrading, technically appropriate, economically viable and socially acceptable should therefore be promoted through integrated planning and management within the framework of coastal area management (CAM).