Overview

An Action Plan is a detailed proposal outlining measures needed to reach one or more goals for aquaculture. Plans typically contain a series of recommendations-- ideally based on science, existing policy, and community input-- to inform decision makers on how to advance aquaculture sustainably in a given region (California). It is not a best management practice (BMP) document, a spatial plan, or a horizon scanning document, but can be linked to and recommend paths forward for such actions.

The Aquaculture Action Plan will comprise 1) an overview of the state of aquaculture in California, 2) a series of potential scenarios for aquaculture in the state, and 3) a series of recommendations to achieve the targets in the scenarios, as well as key trade offs therein.

The Plan will be community-driven and science informed, aligned with agency priorities, and will allow for transparent and rigorous evaluation against clear objectives and metrics. The Plan will also be informed by the Aquaculture Principles and direction from the Aquaculture Leadership Team.

Community-driven

​A core objective of this project is to work closely with Listening Groups to elicit and synthesize targets that are science-based, meaningful to and supported by the community, and measurable.

In Phase 1: Development of the Plan, we plan to engage with a community listening group composed of representatives from user groups that are currently involved with or will be impacted by aquaculture development in California. We will host listening sessions with the groups, helping to test our approach and ensure various viewpoints are considered. We will also host a science listening group to assist with assessing the environmental dimensions of various scenarios. These groups do not have any decision making power and are intended to serve as knowledge conduits. 

​In Phase 2: Community Engagement, we will welcome comments from community members across California in various meetings and online forms.

Community Listening Group Members

Mike Conroy - Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations
Louie Zimm - Former Pacific Fishery Management Council, Hubbs Sea World Research Institute
Doug Bush - The Cultured Abalone
Michael Lee - Calfiornia Aquaculture Association
John Finger - Hog Island Oyster Company
Jono Wilson - The Nature Conservancy
Rod Fujita - Environmental Defense Fund
Fred Carr - Kashia Band of Pomo Indians
Paula Sylvia - Port of San Diego
Mike King - King's Seafood Company
John Molina - Pacific6
Richard Rogers - Former Fish and Game Commission
Logan Kock - Santa Monica Seafood
Brian Clark - San Diego Lifeguards
Teresa Romero - Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Tribe
Anna Weinstein - Audubon Society
*Ashley Eagle-Gibbs - Environmental Action Committee of West Marin (EAC) (alternate)

Science-informed

There have already been significant efforts across other States and in other countries to develop best management practices (BMPs) and science-informed siting criteria for aquaculture. This project will synthesize the data, documents and information contained within these BMPs and siting criteria, and use them to inform and guide these sections of the Action Plan as they relate to California.

​The project will also consider any previous efforts to develop shellfish aquaculture BMPs in California and leverage and integrate this work as appropriate. As aquaculture is a rapidly evolving sector, the project team will also use this assessment to identify gaps in scientific understanding or technological innovation as they relate to resource management concerns that may point to needed research and development.

Science Listening Group Members

Luxin Wang - University of California, Davis
Tiffany Stevens - Seagrove Kelp Co., Kelping Alaska
Bobbi Hudson - Pacific Shellfish Institute
Jackson Gross - University of California, Davis
Diane Windham - NOAA Fisheries, Aquaculture Program, CA
Dan Dwezey - Bodega Marine Lab / University of California, Davis
Jim Moore - Bodega Marine Lab / University of California, Davis
Carrie Culver - California Sea Grant
Claire Gonzales - University of California, Santa Barbara
Clarissa Anderson - Scripps Institute of Oceanography / SCCOOS
James Sanchirico - University of California, Davis

​Climate change is already affecting natural and human systems in California, and the state is setting ambitious goals to both mitigate the impacts of climate change and build resilience into the system to changes that cannot be mitigated or where mitigation is uncertain. This project will evaluate the ecological changes that are expected relative to existing policy and parallel climate action goals (e.g., California Climate Action Plan, Safeguarding California, California’s ocean-climate contribution, and informed by California’s Climate Change Assessments, as appropriate) for coastal regions of California and account for these details in the draft action plan.

Using scenario analysis to inform the action plan

To effectively implement and evaluate an action plan, specific growth targets should be considered based on a combination of production, value, area used, species farmed, ecosystem services, or other social and ecological metrics of interest. In our case, these targets are informed by scenario analysis within the community and science groups, informed by a survey, and the Aquaculture Principles.

Scenario analysis informs long-term planning and decision-making by considering and comparing multiple possible futures. This approach adds to the overall Ecosystem-Approach to Aquaculture (EAA) by accounting for relationships and communication across sectors, qualitative and/or quantitative trade-off analysis, and a more complete understanding of internal priorities over time. Importantly, the use of a scenario approach helps define targets for the future and the possible paths to meet those targets.

​For more information on scenario planning see Couture et al. 2021. “Scenario analysis can guide aquaculture planning to meet sustainable future production goals” on our publications page.

Varying balances between commercial aquaculture and fisheries in future seafood production and the potential impacts on our oceans.These scenarios highlight just some of the numerous potential habitat, production and cooperation states that may occur given the complex nature of the seafood sector. Figure by Allison Horst