Marine Spatial Planning <Determinants> For Zoning -Ivar Svare Holand

During Dr. Ivar Svare Holand’s presentation, “Marine Spatial Planning <Determinants> For Zoning” I learned about the spatial planning exercises used to determine zoning for fish farms in Norway. I also learned that these practices do not take into account the recreational value of areas. Dr. Holand mentioned that there are many undocumented statements about the use of areas for outdoor and recreational activities. He highlighted that data that is not in an easily accessible format will not be taken into consideration in zoning. This draws attention to the need for a system that can store qualitative statements from citizens regarding the recreational use of the areas in a format that can be easily accessible and therefore used in decision making alongside factors such as topographic features.

I thought that Dr. Ivar Svare Holand did a good job of introducing his topic. He started by explaining how important fish farming is to Norway’s economy and provided an overview of what the industry looks like in Norway. He then went on to explain how spatial planning currently takes place with the use of GIS mappings including layers of topographic features and existing structures. He then pointed to the fact that while quantitative data, or “facts” can easily be used for zoning, qualitative statements from citizens lose out. I wish that Dr. Holand had suggested some potential solutions on how to include the recreational value of the land in spatial planning going forward.

The topic was not directly related to my Master’s research, however the theme of prioritizing economic growth above all else persists. At what point will human health and environmental health be valued above profit for industry?

Dr. Ivar Scare Holand did a good job of answering questions. It was clear that he knew his specific topic; he acknowledged when questions were asked that fell outside his area of expertise and he proceeded to give his best answer.  If I had the chance to ask a question, I would ask if fish farms were generally supported or opposed by the public in Norway.