Balancing aquaculture with other coastal interests: A study of regional planning as a tool for ICZM in Norway

Coastal zone planning at regional level has been introduced in Norway to deal with the problems of integration that coastal zone planning at municipal level has not been able to solve. In particular, this relates to coordination between the relevant sectors at regional level. The present article discusses the effects of different planning strategies at regional (county) level in terms of achieving integration between the interests of the aquaculture industry with those of other coastal interests. The findings are based on a study comparing the experiences in three counties. The authors argue that the individual county's choice of planning strategy influence the way in which the integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) is carried out. The more active the county authorities have been as a meta-governor in the planning and implementation processes, the higher level of integration is achieved.