We provide decision-makers, authorities, industries, and international organizations with science-driven insights. We address society’s need for current knowledge on how human activities impact aquatic ecosystems and how we can use these resources sustainably.
SLU has a unique social mission among Swedish universities: we conduct continuous environmental analysis. At SLU Aqua, our mission is to monitor and assess environmental changes, providing society’s various stakeholders with scientific knowledge and decision-making support for the sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems. Our research naturally complements this analysis, enhancing and expanding the data we provide.
Decision-makers, civil servants, and other stakeholders at national, regional, and local levels rely on timely, reliable, and adequate information. Our scientific expertise is utilized by government bodies, ministries, and state agencies such as the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (HaV), the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, and the Swedish Board of Agriculture. It also supports county administrative boards, municipalities, and other organizations involved in the development and implementation of policy instruments and management strategies.
Nationally, our advice primarily addresses stakeholders' need for independent, science-based assessments on the state and trends of fish stocks and ecosystems, as well as the impacts of current or proposed management measures.
Much of our knowledge base is publicly available and searchable through the SLU Library's open publication database.
We use the terms scientific knowledge and scientific advice interchangeably. This is because scientific advice has long been a well-established concept in the EU’s (and Sweden’s) decision-making processes for managing fish, fisheries, and marine resources. For instance, the EU's Common Fisheries Policy states that measures should be based on the best available scientific advice, and this concept is similarly applied in Sweden’s strategy for the future of fisheries 2021-2026.
Johan Dannewitz, Researcher
Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Freshwater Research, SLU
johan.dannewitz@slu.se, +46 10 478 42 23
Daniel Valentinsson, Researcher
Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Marine Research, SLU daniel.valentinsson@slu.se, +46 10 478 40 49
Stefan Larsson, Senior Environmental Assessment Specialist
Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Coastal Research, SLU
stefan.larsson@slu.se, +46 10 478 41 81