In this volume, an international group of contributors explores the newly emerging aquaculture industry. Focusing on the social and environmental dimensions of aquacultural development in both industrialized and nonindustrialized nations, they examine issues of social equity, user-group conflict, environmental impacts of production, and the mediating role of the state. They also discuss aquaculture's role in development activity–especially in sustainable development, where it can enhance community viability, coherence, and solidarity. Asserting the need for careful planning and recognizing impending political and moral choices, the contributors assess the decisionmaking process for public authorities and development agencies and consider the social consequences of these decisions. Policymakers responsible for promoting and managing this growing industry will find this volume invaluable as they begin to research and design appropriate institutional structures. In addition, scholars interested in the overall adoption and diffusion of new technologies will find here a rich source of information about a system that shares attributes with but also differs significantly from agricultural and fisheries production systems.