1. Site selection criteria www.aqua-park.asia Scientifically based criteria for the selection of suitable Mariculture Park locationsAquaPark Mid-term meeting - interim results

2. Site selection Site selection is probably the single most important factor that determines the commercial viability of an aquaculture operation. An aquaculture operation should be located, designed and operated to provide optimum water quality to the fish and to avoid conditions that may induce stress, reduce growth or predispose the fish to disease. The area should be of a suitable depth, have good current flow with good water quality and ideally sheltered from intense wind and wave action. 3. Guiding Principles The precautionary approach (production quantity, exotic fry, etc) should be applied. Production carrying capacity estimation should be undertaken for each identified zone. A fixed number of License sites should be allocated within the zones based on carrying capacity. There should be buffers between mariculture zones and sensitive habitats. Potential conflicts should be assessed and avoided during the process of zone sites identification. 4. Site selection criteria Main factors to consider Bio-physical Depth profile Exposure to wind Fetch Maximum wave height Currents Tides Water temperature Salinity Conflicting uses of area Shore line contour 5. Site selection criteria Other factors to consider Hazzards Pollution (organic and inorganic) Potential danger of red tides, plankton blooms, biofouling Predators - crabs, fish, birds, seals, etc. Infrastructure Accessibility to the site roads, transportation, airport, port, etc. Infrastructure and utilities - facilities, security, communication, electricity, freshwater 6. Site selection criteria Other factors to consider Environmental Proximity to sensitive habitats Sensitive speciesOther Potential for expansion - availability of adjacent area Legal framework policies, regulations, licenses, permits, concessions, etc. Public and government acceptance of project 7. Preferred criteria for cage farming Suitable depth 15 to 50 m Infrastructure Road preferable less then 1 km awayExcluding factors Wave More then 1 m height Rivers Large river 3 km, other river 1,5 km Sensitive areas Coral reef 300 m away 8. Site selection process The aquaculture zoning process should follow the following sequence Step 1. Data collection for zone identification and selection Oceanographic data Infrastructure Potential conflicts Socio-economic issues Fishing communities Tourist areas 9. Site selection process Step 2. Digitising data for use in GIS Step 3. Analysis of zone selection criteria Step 4. Identification of potential aquaculture zones and prioritising Step 5. Undertake production carrying capacity estimations on agreed aquaculture zones and set a maximum level 10. Aquaculture zoning proceedure