Project description
The UKILUPA project pilots a joint permitting procedure for aquaculture, with the aim of directing fish farming to ecologically suitable areas and ensuring that the entire production cycle – from juvenile stages to grow-out, winter storage and processing – can be carried out with full consideration of the marine environment.
The work is driven by the need to strengthen environmental knowledge–based decision-making. Individual operators often find it difficult to assess where facilities can be located in terms of water area ownership, other uses of the marine environment and potential environmental impacts. A public joint permitting process makes it possible to examine these issues as a whole.
SYKE contributes by conducting studies on the state of the marine area and assessing environmental impacts. This includes: • nutrient loading and eutrophication modelling for different location options • assessment of the ecological status and production conditions of the marine area • comparison of the environmental suitability of alternative farming sites • evaluation of cumulative impacts when production is either concentrated or dispersed
The project also includes field studies that complement existing knowledge on the state of the marine area and local conditions. The resulting data supports environmental impact assessment and ensures that permitting decisions are based on up‑to‑date and reliable environmental information.