The planning process - Planning Aquaculture Facilities

The planning process

When the planning process starts there is always an initiative to alter the prevailing situation. For example, someone may want to establish a completely new farm, or only be a minor reconstruction of the farm is wanted. Both require a planning process to have been completed before building commences. For the planner, it is important to ensure that they really understand the needs of the applicant to be able to execute the planning process optimally.

The planning process may be separated into the following parts from the choice of site, to when the facility is finished and in production:

1.              Site evaluation and selection

2.              Production plan

3.              Room programme

4.              Necessary analyses, such as function, form, technology, environmental impact and economy

5.              Development of alternative solutions based on the analysis

6.              Evaluation and synthesis of the alternative solutions

7.              Actual design, making the necessary drawings and description, calculation of costs

8.              Drawing up invitations to tender, choice of contractor, starting building

9.              Function test of the plant, with and without fish

10.         Project review.

If there is only one site available, it will only need to be evaluated. It is, however, important to show the limitations of the site. If an extension of an existing plant is wanted, the same will be the case. Independent of this, it is always important to carry out the site evaluation and control to ascertain whether the site really can tolerate the extension and what problems may occur. This may also set additional requirements in the planning process, for instance that there will be a limitation in the water supply and that re-use technology is required.

A production target or a given production plan may also be the starting point of the planning process. If this is the case, a proper site has to be chosen based on these requirements.