Lynnlee Chikudza
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) refers to the coproduction of species from different trophic levels such as fed fish (e.g., salmon, trout, and shrimp), organic extractive species (e.g., mussels), and inorganic extractive species such as seaweeds. For an IMTA practice to be implemented, social sustainability is something that should be considered, especially when there may be some uncertainty regarding people’s willingness to accept such practices. Social sustainability includes but is not limited to the need to understand and address the following: people’s wellbeing, maintaining their cultural values, sense of belonging, attachment to place, procedural and distributive social justice, labour rights, community development, community resilience, trust, and social acceptance. When it comes to establishing new aquaculture practices such as IMTA, stakeholders play an important role in defining and informing social sustainability. Recognising the importance of stakeholder input on the implementation of IMTA, this research analysed the perspectives of knowledgeable stakeholders using Tasmania as a case study. Stakeholder perspectives were analysed using a semi-quantitative interview method (Q methodology). The perspectives indicated that participants were in consensus regarding how the scale of an IMTA system can impact social sustainability and the need to consult and educate the public on both the benefits and detriments of IMTA. The Q-study also highlighted some diverging views: i) the need for an appropriate regulatory framework and transparency, ii) the need to keep coastal communities viable, iii) the need for marine spatial planning to engender trust, and iv) the need for increased capacity for IMTA research and development. Individuals of the same stakeholder group did not share similar viewpoints. The diverging views suggest that different management strategies are needed to achieve social sustainability when implementing IMTA.