The expansion of aquaculture in developing countries poses risks if the environmental capacity of the area is exceeded, that is, if the amount of aquaculture taking place is too much for the environment to cope with.

The need to control the use of potential aquaculture sites has resource allocation and access implications for developing and expanding aquaculture production.

The project team will review existing approaches to estimating environmental capacity and associated environmental management systems. The application of assessment and management techniques to a range of tropical aquaculture systems in Bangladesh and Vietnam that are likely to see increased pressure from future aquaculture development will be explored. This phase of the work will involve a number of case studies in both Vietnam and Bangladesh.

Practical guidelines for planners and aquatic sector professional in tropical developing countries will be developed, based on the lessons learned from the project case studies and reviews of international experience. It is hoped that these guidelines, if followed, will help to increase the sustainability of aquaculture development in these countries.