The efficiency of mussel farming both as a mitigation measure and as a valuable protein source depends on local conditions both from a practical point of view as well as nutrient conditions.
Basing expansion on mussel farming entirely on practical and biological criteria may conflict with other interests in the coastal zone. Planning expansion of mussel farming – and especially in areas where mussel farming is a new activity – thus require a multi-criteria approach including both environmental variables as well as variables addressing socio-economic aspects. Including social parameters will avoid conflict of interest with other activities and pave the way for social acceptance from the local population by e.g. selecting sites with minimum visual impact of the farms and limited recreational use of the area.
Experiences from a stakeholder process regarding expansion of mussel production (farming an fishery) in a Danish estuary have demonstrated the need for public outreach, in order to separate facts from fiction and thereby provide an informed basis for decision aiding the process of social acceptance.