# Lessons for Coastal Applications of IMTA as a Way towards Sustainable Development: A Review
## 7 Social Sustainability, Social License, and Aquaculture Governance  
Social license, the approval of aquaculture plans by affected communities, is an important element of the social sustainability of aquaculture, and it holds untapped potential for holistically sustainable aquaculture. Public acceptance of IMTA depends on perceptions of the economic or social benefits and harms associated with the activity [131]. A positive association between improved environmental performance, increased social license, and better access to aquaculture licenses was shown in Norway, where the government established 45 'green aquaculture' licenses in 2013 [132]. Denmark has legislation to reduce environmental emissions from aquaculture, which encourages IMTA development [107]. However, these are small beginnings. A more recent study in Norway confirms that IMTA can reduce the negative environmental effects of salmon aquaculture, but importantly, this first interdisciplinary study on IMTA in the region also finds that Norwegian aquaculture governance, i.e., the country's rules and laws prevent this. To assess the future of IMTA in Norway, this study conducted a workshop in which participants conceptualized IMTA for the Norwegian salmon industry. The results show that IMTA would improve public perceptions of salmon aquaculture, create skilled jobs in coastal communities, and provide the industry with new sustainable sources of marine ingredients for feed. Participants also identified that IMTA proponents face opposition from policymakers, from a public concerned about the environmental impact of salmon farming, from coastal communities that have the power to regulate access to marine territories, and from a powerful aquaculture industry that is focused on salmon production only. Agenda setting with policy and lawmakers and public opinion outreach work are clearly identified as central future tasks on the path towards viable IMTA implementation [133]. Exploring this further, a set of open-ended interviews with 34 farmers and scientists from 12 European countries who all had extensive IMTA experience identified nine types of barriers to IMTA: Biological, Conflicts, Environmental, Interest, Legislation, Market, Operational, Research & Development, and Vandalism. While the relative importance of factors varied across Europe, highlighting the need for country and site-specific measures [134], factors such as conflicts, legislation, markets, operational, and even vandalism indicate that aquaculture governance is a major field of needed engagement if IMTA is to realize its clearly documented economic and ecological potentials. In their early global review on IMTA in temperate marine waters [PERSON] and coauthors [24], also discuss the social perception of IMTA as a new idea in aquaculture; finding that many people believed that IMTA was able to reduce salmon farming's environmental impact, increase financial benefits to communities, and enhance the productivity and long-term viability of enterprises. A total of 90% of the general public and 89% of aquaculture industry-related respondents in this 12-year-old study thought that IMTA might be a profitable venture. It was also found that 82% of the public and 79% of the industry believed that existing salmon monoculture methods had a moderate to negative impact on the community while IMTA was anticipated to be less harmful [37]. Positive public views of IMTA and the demonstrated willingness to pay extra for IMTA products in key markets bodes well for IMTA profit margins and should enable IMTA application. Given appropriate legislation and equity-oriented product labelling (i.e., appropriate aquaculture governance), IMTA should also be able to promote social development. In practice, and despite clear evidence that it increases system output and promotes environmental, economic, and social sustainability, IMTA has entered the commercial realm only in a few cases.