Aquaculture hasn’t always been blessed with the best reputation – particularly in the West, where food production is often seen as a secondary concern to interests including leisure, tourism and the environment. However, as the first instalment of our new series on restorative aquaculture illustrates, aquaculture can bring significant environmental benefits. New technology also allows it to be undertaken in areas where it doesn’t clash with the interests of other aquatic stakeholders. Indeed, as the example of Offshore Shellfish suggests, the benefits of certain types of aquaculture are numerous – from the provision of maritime jobs in areas that are losing their fishing fleets, to a range of ecosystem services and creation of valuable habitats.

Many restorative aquaculture projects struggle to generate sufficient revenues to cover their costs, but Offshore Shellfish shows that aquaculture can be both economically sustainable and environmentally positive. We hope to highlight a range of equally inspiring projects from around the world in the coming months.