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Report of the Expert Consultation on the Assessment of Socio-economic Impacts of Aquaculture. Ankara, Turkey, 4–8 February 2008.

Year of publication 2008

Pages 53

Author FAO.;Fishery and Aquaculture Economics and Policy Division

Product type Book (series)

ISBN 9789251060414

Series title FAO Fisheries Report

Series number 0429-9337|0429-92337 - R861

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) This Expert Consultation was convened with the aim of identifying socio-economic impacts of aquaculture and a universally acceptable method for assessing them. The goal was also to advise FAO on future work in the area of socio-economics of aquaculture. The Consultation debated on the many positive and negative impacts of aquaculture, including those on land and land-based habitats, water and wild species, the downstream and upstream industries of aquaculture, infrastructure, incomes, employment , food supply, food quality and safety, food access, food stability, human health, education and training, population and demography, and community and social order, and emphasized that these impacts have profound interdependence and far-reaching socio-economic implications, which makes the task of assessing them difficult. There was a wide consensus amongst experts that multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) as a measurement technique is a su itable method for assessing socio-economic impacts in a situation where multiple attributes are important and cannot be easily reduced to a single monetary measure of impacts as is the case in aquaculture. However, because of the tangibles which can be evaluated in monetary terms and the intangibles which are difficult to quantify in monetary value in socio-economics of aquaculture, and given the wide range of impacts to assess as well as various circumstances, experts agreed that there is no si ngle method which could be used to assess the socio-economic impacts of aquaculture. In addition to MCDM using AHP, they suggested that other techniques such as the “costs benefits analysis” (CBA) could also be used depending on circumstances. They recommended that FAO carry out case studies in a certain number of developed and developing countries on assessing the socio-economic impacts of aquaculture using AHP, CBA and another technique in order to test and compare the applicability and result s of these methods in assessing socio-economic impacts of aquaculture. It was also recommended to develop a user guide on the implementation of these methods and build capacity in developing countries in using the identified techniques. Other needs for future work in socio-economics of aquaculture were also identified.

Cite this content as:

FAO.Report of the Expert Consultation on the Assessment of Socio-economic Impacts of Aquaculture. Ankara, Turkey, 4–8 February 2008.FAO Fisheries Report. No. 861. Rome, FAO. 2008. 53p.

Language English

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