Mussel farm location in the Baltic sea-Community acceptance or distrust

In this article we report key findings from an explorative mixed methods study of community approaches to the location of mussel cultivation facilities - and hence to the use of marine and coastal space - in Denmark and Germany. While mussel farms did not appear to provoke high levels of open protest and were met with approval among some stakeholders, the study did observe notable concerns among year-round and seasonal residents in the affected communities. These concerns include visual disruption of the waterscape, competition for space, and generation of waste. Of further relevance for the issue of community acceptance, the study discovered how collective experiences with pollution from fish farms can engender local disapproval of mussel farms, in spite of the latter's capacity for mitigating pollution. One potential lesson from this result could be that local publics have difficulty distinguishing between various types of aquaculture and their impact on the environment. Another lesson is that the assemblage of concerns that can affect any facility siting do not only relate to the effects of the facility itself. Concerns also relate to the already experienced effects of other types of facilities in other locations and to the broader history and collective memory of concrete interactions with the landscape in that specific area, including the place attachments and social (dis)trust these interactions have generated. This knowledge will help decision-makers develop community-oriented involvement strategies as a mandatory part of any siting and management of mussel farms and other aquaculture facilities.

Automated summary

This article presents findings from a study on community attitudes towards the location of mussel cultivation facilities in Denmark and Germany. Despite relatively low levels of open protest, the study highlights concerns among affected residents about visual disruption, competition for space, and waste generation. The research also identifies the influence of prior experiences with fish farm pollution on local disapproval of mussel farms, suggesting a difficulty in distinguishing between different types of aquaculture. The study emphasizes the importance of considering broader historical and collective memory in facility siting decisions and calls for community-oriented involvement strategies.