Zoning (Aquaculture)

Aquaculture zoning is the spatial allocation of designated areas where aquaculture may operate, set within marine spatial planning to reconcile farming with fishing, navigation, conservation, and tourism. Zones are delineated from carrying-capacity assessment, water quality, depth, exposure, and user-conflict mapping, then governed by leasing and licensing. FAO promotes zoning under an ecosystem approach to aquaculture, using Allocated Zones for Aquaculture (AZAs) to cap cumulative nutrient and benthic loading within a waterbody’s assimilative capacity. Clear zoning reduces siting disputes, speeds permitting, and lets regulators manage disease spread and cumulative environmental impact across clustered farms.