10 December 2012: The European Commission has issued new guidelines aimed at ensuring the compatibility of aquaculture with EU nature legislation, specifically provisions on the EU network of protected areas known as Natura 2000.

The document, titled “Guidance on Aquaculture and Natura 2000: Sustainable Aquaculture Activities in the Context of the Natura 2000 Network,” provides a step-by-step guide for assessing risks posed by aquaculture to nature and wildlife, and describes best practices for sustainable aquaculture development. It highlights that risk assessment and best practices must be examined on a case-by-case basis, illustrated through examples drawn from sites in the Natura 2000 network. The guidelines also provide information on aquaculture production and its impacts on nature and wildlife in the EU.

According to Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for the Environment, the guidelines should “increase understanding between economic operators, public authorities, site managers and nature conservation bodies. It will enable them to design sustainable aquaculture projects that meet their production objectives while respecting the ecological values of the Natura 2000 areas.”

The guidelines are the fifth in a series on the application of EU nature legislation. Previous documents covered: wind energy, non-energy mineral extraction, ports and estuaries, and inland waterway transport. [EU Press Release] [European Commission Press Release] [Publication: Guidance on Aquaculture and Natura 2000]