Aquaculture
Governance
Indicators
The story of the AGIs
What's missing in the industry?
Asking the above question in the context of aquaculture governance in Spring 2017, discussions between researchers in the Environmental Policy Group (ENP) at Wageningen University and key members of the Seafood Watch (SFW) team led to this conclusion: having a comprehensive framework for understanding aquaculture governance would allow for a more holistic assessment of the sustainability performance of the aquaculture sector. A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) was formed to inform its development.
allow for a more holistic assessment of the sustainability performance of the aquaculture sector.
In the summer of 2017, the ENP team performed a review of how 'good/responsible/sustainable' governance is defined in normative frameworks, global indices, and aquaculture standards.
From this, they found definitions were dominated by legal and prescriptive approaches to governance with little attention to collaborations and capabilities, i.e. social processes, needed for the development and implementation of rules and norms.
A first draft of the AGI framework was developed which was made up of four dimensions broken down into 30 indicators and discussed with the TAC and subsequent online meetings.
2017
-
June 2017: project start
-
Summer 2017: review of existing governance frameworks
-
October 2017: first TAC meeting (Dublin)
2018
-
April 2018: in-person TAC meeting (Utrecht)
-
Summer 2018: completion of initial phase (two pilot studies)
-
August 2018: presentation of AGI framework at aquaculture conference (Montpelier)
-
September 2018: junior researcher, Sake Kruk, joins ENP team
Refining the AGI framework
In the first half of 2018, the AGI framework was further developed, focusing on refining and re-organizing the indicators. The ENP team started two pilot studies (the Netherlands and Thailand) to test the framework, mainly aimed at detecting methodological issues.
After Summer 2018, the project completed its initial phase, and entered a new phase focusing on conducting pilot assessments for two key species (shrimp and salmon) in ten case countries (Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and Myanmar; Scotland (UK), Canada, Norway, Faroe Islands (Denmark) and Chile). The first step in this involved doing desk study on the aquaculture governance landscape of each country.
Near the end of 2018, the AGI framework reached its current form, as the three governance principles were explicitly foregrounded next to the dimensions, to guide and structure the analysis.
Conducting pilot studies
Pilot country assessments were carried out throughout 2019. Templates for analysis and reporting were finalized, and a handbook to guide the assessment was developed. In Spring, the TAC met to discuss preliminary results and methodological challenges.
In June, at a side event of the Seafood Summit in Bangkok, the AGI framework was presented with key players within aquaculture present offering feedback.
In Fall 2019, the TAC met online for several meetings, expanding to discussing outreach strategies and activities, and to plan for a new phase of scaling up the project.
2019
-
April 2019: TAC meeting (Utrecht)
-
June 2019: presentation of AGI framework at Seafood Summit (Bangkok)
2020
Completing and analyzing pilot assessments
During 2020, eight country assessments were finalized. In April, the project/ENP brought on Furqan Asif as a post-doctoral researcher to join the AGI team as co-coordinator to bolster the progress made and to propel the project forward. The SFW team started development of the AGI dashboard, a data visualization tool to share output from the assessments.
The COVID19-pandemic led to cancellation of key in-person meetings and conferences; however, the TAC met virtually. At the end of 2020, the joint ENP and SFW team worked on creating the AGI website, including developing and testing the dashboard.
-
March 2020: post-doc researcher, Furqan Asif, joins the ENP team
-
April 2020: TAC meeting (online)
-
October 2020: development of AGI dashboard
Scaling up and expanding
In 2021, the next phase of the project will focus on expanding the assessments to other important and emerging countries within the aquaculture landscape.
Provisional countries identified for future assessments include (but are not limited to): Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, Egypt, Nigeria, Spain, Australia, Turkey, Greece, Denmark, Japan, and South Korea.
2021
-
January 2021: expanding assessments to other countries
Aquaculture Governance Indicators
A comprehensive framework supporting
the evolution towards responsible aquaculture management
Developed by researchers from the Environmental Policy Group at Wageningen University & Research with support from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program, the Aquaculture Governance Indicators (AGIs) aim to provide insights in the ways in which governments, industry and civil society groups can make improvements towards sustainable aquaculture.
We envision the AGIs
...to serve as a diagnostic tool to identify strengths and weaknesses in aquaculture governance of a given country and/or species
...to provide input for a conversation about gaps and improvement
...to contribute to a broader understanding of the relation between governance and environmental performance
...to help to educate and raise awareness about the importance of governance for environmental reform in aquaculture
What's missing
in the industry?
Refining the
AGI framework
Conducting
pilot assessments
Completing and analyzing pilot assessments
Scaling up and expanding
Follow our AGI journey
Aquaculture Governance Indicators
What's missing in the industry?
Asking the above question, researchers at the Environmental Policy Group (ENP) at Wageningen University and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program team realized having a comprehensive framework for understanding aquaculture governance would allow for a more holistic assessment of the sustainability performance of the aquaculture sector. A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) was formed to inform its development.
In the summer of 2017, the ENP team performed a review of how 'good/responsible/sustainable' governance is defined in existing frameworks, global indices, and aquaculture standards.
From this, they found definitions were dominated by legal and prescriptive approaches to governance with little attention to collaborations and capabilities, i.e. social processes, needed for the development and implementation of rules and norms.
A first draft of the AGI framework was developed which was made up of four dimensions broken down into 30 indicators and discussed with the TAC and subsequent online meetings.
2017
-
June 2017: project start
-
Summer 2017: review of existing governance frameworks
-
October 2017: first TAC meeting (Dublin)
2018
-
April 2018: TAC meeting (Utrecht)
-
Summer 2018: completion of initial phase (two pilot studies)
-
August 2018: presentation of AGI framework at aquaculture conference (Montpelier)
-
September 2018: junior researcher, Sake Kruk, joins ENP team
Refining the AGI framework
In the first half of 2018, the AGI framework was further developed, focusing on refining and re-organizing the indicators. The ENP team started two pilot studies (the Netherlands and Thailand) to test the framework, mainly aimed at sorting out methodological issues.
After Summer 2018, the project completed its initial phase, and shifted to conducting pilot assessments for two key species (shrimp and salmon) in ten countries (Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and Myanmar; Scotland (UK), Canada, Norway, Faroe Islands (Denmark) and Chile). The first step in this involved doing desk study on the aquaculture governance landscape of each country.
Near the end of 2018, the AGI framework reached its current form, as the three governance principles were explicitly foregrounded next to the dimensions, to guide and structure the analysis.
Conducting pilot studies
Pilot country assessments were carried out throughout 2019. Templates for analysis and reporting were finalized, and a handbook to guide the assessment was developed. In Spring, the TAC met to discuss preliminary results and methodological challenges.
In June, at a side event of the Seafood Summit in Bangkok, the AGI framework was presented with key players within aquaculture present offering feedback.
In Fall 2019, the TAC met online for several meetings, expanding to discussing outreach strategies and activities, and to plan for a new phase of scaling up the project.
2019
-
April 2019: TAC meeting (Utrecht)
-
June 2019: presentation of AGI framework at Seafood Summit (Bangkok)
2020
-
March 2020: post-doc researcher, Furqan Asif, joins the ENP team
-
April 2020: TAC meeting (online)
-
October 2020: development of AGI dashboard
Completing and analyzing pilot assessments
During 2020, eight country assessments were finalized. In April, the project/ENP brought on Furqan Asif as a post-doctoral researcher to join the AGI team as co-coordinator to bolster the progress made and to propel the project forward. The Seafood Watch team started development of the AGI dashboard, a data visualization tool to share output from the assessments.
The COVID19-pandemic led to cancellation of key in-person meetings and conferences; however, the TAC met virtually. At the end of 2020, the joint ENP and Seafood Watch team worked on creating the AGI website, including developing and testing the dashboard.
Scaling up and expanding
In 2021, we started the next phase of the project, focusing on expanding the assessments to other important and emerging countries within the aquaculture landscape.
New assessments were started: India (completed); UK (Scotland), Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda and the Netherlands.
2021 onwards
-
January 2021 : start new assessment (India)
-
September 2021: TAC meeting (online)
-
January 2022: start scoping African aquaculture
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Spring 2022: start new assessments (Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal)
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September 2022: TAC meeting Utrecht
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Autumn 2022: finalizing India assessment
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Spring 2023: start new assessments (Uganda, the Netherlands, UK/Scotland)
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November 2023: Special session at WAS Aquaculture conference in Zambia