Indicators of sustainable small-scale aquaculture development

摘要

The indicators of the sustainability of a system differ from the traditional indicators of growth, progress or development. The relevance of this distinction to aquaculture is that aquaculture cannot be expected to contribute to sustainable rural development if it is not itself sustainable. The Sustainable Livelihoods Approach or SLA was used as the framework for drawing up the indicators of sustainability of small-scale aquaculture systems. The dominant definitions and widely acceptable characterization of small-scale aquaculture are reviewed. With SLA as the basic framework, a matrix is created which provides a list of possible indicators, classifies each indicator under any of the five livelihood assets and links the indicators to, on one hand, the three pillars of sustainable development (economic viability, social stability and environmental integrity) and, on the other hand, the four basic goals of a farmer, i.e. higher yield, lower cost, better economic returns and less risk. The emphasis ofeach indicator in relation to a livelihood capital is described. This matrix is the basis of an expanded list of indicators for small-scale aquaculture in which the importance of an indicator is explained, what it would show, and how it links to sustainability. Sustainability indicators afford a holistic view of the state of sustainability of a farm, household or community. Because they are interlinked, a change in a component can have a positive or adverse impact on the other components. Their practical use therefore is to provide better guides for an integrated approach to planning or problem solving.