A study on aquaculture industry regulations and policies of globally representative states

Aquaculture has a long history, and has achieved rapid development from 1950 to 2010, especially since the 1990s. Nevertheless, aquaculture has also seen a series of problems emerge. Inevitably, aquaculture interacts with the environment and society. Rapid development requires that close attention be paid to potential environmental and social impacts and their prevention or mitigation. The development and management of aquaculture is related closely with a variety of legal and institutional arrangements. Thus, aquaculture raises numerous legal and institutional issues. This paper explores actual legal and institutional practices of global representative aquaculture countries and provides a comprehensive account of the legislation and policies of different countries. Further, this paper reveals that the optimal legal framework for aquaculture is in line with related international regulations (especially the soft laws) and strictly operational, and the corresponding policy framework should establish early access and warning, as well as post assessment and feedback mechanisms.