Aquaculture and Tourism may not seem to be directly linked at first sight. Indeed, aquaculture has been a target for some complaints from the tourist industry,often reflecting a perceived competition for space.
The recent growth of marine aquaculture, particularly along the coastline, where there is already a high concentration of partly synergistic, partly conflicting activities, sometimes appears to put it in the place of the newcomer disrupting the long-established balance between existing users. These may react by over-emphasising the risk of aquaculture to the already heavily exploited resources, finally unbalancing the local environment.
The expansion of aquaculture is occurring at the same time as the increasing demand by society for environmental protection. This includes notably the desire to prevent excessive exploitation and appropriation of coastal areas and the seabed, particularly in tidal areas. This has resulted in recognition that the establishment of a comprehensive network of natural habitats and protected areas for endangered species is of primary importance.
As a consequence, many sites which had been identified as potential areas for aquaculture development in coastal marshes and tidal flats, particularly for extensive or semi-intensive systems, have now become inaccessible through the passing of laws and regulations prohibiting any form of alteration of the habitats concerned.
But the inter-relationship between aquaculture and tourism is not simply a contest for the use of space. Positive interactions with tourists exist. These can include:
- tours of farms, where the farmer shows and explains what is being done and usually involving product tasting on the farm
- integration with recreational activities
Examples of this include:
- duck hunting within the Italian ‘valliculture’ activities
Valliculture has a specific and historic background in Italy, where a variety of marine fish are held in coastal lagoons, at very low density, where the farming process is more a question of managing the environment. Such ‘valli’ are often quite large and can be integrated successfully with tourism and recreational activities.
- integration with holiday properties and recreation
Aquaculture has been used for the reclamation of low quality agricultural land into pleasant holiday properties, bounded by freshwater pond farming, in the Dombes area of France.
- sport fisheries linked to the fish farming activity
Some farms, particularly those with a particularly scenic backdrop, have developed special areas, small lakes or river frontage, for recreational fisheries and, notably, for trout fly fishing. Angling ‘tours’ around the water courses of Jutland are another good example. This regions contains 75 ‘Put and Take’ lakes as well as an abundance of river fishing areas and is one of the areas in Europe where the grayling remains one of the favoured species for fishing.
