All types of farming interact with the environment and aquaculture is no exception. Mainstream food production is terrestrial and it is only recently that the technology has developed sufficiently to allow the water resources of the word to be used to produce food on a large scale. It is not surprising then that aquaculture's interaction with the environment attracts attention from many interested parties.

For aquaculture to be successful it has to work in harmony with nature and its progress over the last 20 years has been phenomenal in terms of developing the capacity for production and creating employment. Awareness of the requirements of the environment so as to secure a sustainable future has been to the fore of the considerations of the aquaculture farmer, complementing the concerns of the consumer and society. This section is devoted to information on the different issues that affect aquaculture and the actions and solutions that have been adopted in the different areas of the sector. In the marine environment, for example, the sheltered, coastal zones used for aquaculture often have multiple uses, such as for mooring commercial or leisure craft or simply for recreation. In these circumstances, resolving the interests of the different users has to be addressed.