Fish farming in northern Europe in terms of the physical environment and cultivated resource is fundamentally different to that in the Mediterranean Sea. However, historically there has been a greater emphasis put on environmental assessment, monitoring and regulation which gives a valuable lesson of the process of marine environmental management, which may also be of use in a Mediterranean context. The process of environmental assessment for coastal aquaculture in northern Europe will be described using case studies which illustrate the regulatory and management procedures employed in Scotland and Norway. Impacts from nutrient wastes and chemicals used in fin fish aquaculture and their assessment by modelling and survey techniques, will be addressed, and comments made into the effectiveness of these approaches for long term management.