Is there a democratic crisis in marine governance?

Who is 'competent' or 'very competent' to manage the marine environment?

Graph: Data showing perceived competence of different groups to manage the environment. Scores shown as percentage of responses rating ‘competent or highly competent’ (rating of 4 -5). Note that EU, National and Local refer to government bodies. Sample: UK, Poland, Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal, France,

Source: Knowseas: Public perceptions of Europe’s Seas - A Policy Brief. LINK
  
 The chart points to public concern over the process for managing the marine environment -  and the  opportunity to develop new ways of co-managing marine resources and including public voice in marine decisions. Environmental groups and scientists are perceived as more competent (at 57% and 56%) than government bodies, individuals and industry (max 37%). While on one hand this is a concerning statistic, it points to a change in the way marine governance can work. Governance means more than government, and the inclusion of civil and scientific voices, not only as 'stakeholders' but as co-managers, may be the way forward to improve marine sustainability.

There is clearly a critical role for elected representatives in government and civil departments to continue to administer and support marine management and be viewed as the custodian of the process. But if the views of the community are to be acknowledged, the system needs to advance to include genuine engagement over consultation.

What do individuals, communities and nations think of marine issues?

A wonderful happy new year to all of our readers on Sustainable Seas! 2012 promises to be the biggest yet for the blog with plans for further expansion and coverage of sustainable marine and coastal issues around the world.

We're starting the new year with a bang.

One of the huge gaps in marine policy research is understanding the views of the public when it comes to valuing and managing the marine environment. While as engaged researchers or activists we naturally place the marine environment high within our own values - but are the the views of the public substantially different? What is the importance of public discourse?

This recent report by the European Knowseas project charts public opinion of 7000 people across 7 European countries concerning marine values and management approaches. The results highlight that while the oceans are generally low in public opinion, there is a strong call for more civil society involvement in governance. Approaches such as MPAs and marine spatial planning, while in early development, are strongly supported by the public. Views across countries differed dramatically with countries such as the UK, despite a strong maritime heritage, displaying a disconnect from the sea whereas countries such as Portugal and Spain showed a strong connection. The emerging 'ecosystem approach' was important with the public highlighting that non-economic values are as important as traditional economic outputs.

The results raise several interesting questions and consequences - notably the demand for more co-management, public involvement and democratic accountability in the governance of the coasts and seas.

We have a NEW LINK to download the report.

New report: Social and Economic Objectives for a Scottish Marine Plan

What are the social and economic challenges facing marine governance? How do marine plans incorporate social concerns, economic challenges and structure indicator systems. How do we revolutionise 'stakeholders' into 'contributors' and change the dynamics of coastal conflicts?

Recently Ruth Brennan and Tavis Potts from the Scottish Association for Marine Science published a timely report for Marine Scotland on establishing Social and Economic Objectives for marine planning. The report goes into detail about international, EU and Scottish policy drivers for marine governance with a focus on the social, economic, cultural and governance dimensions. It is a timely report that takes on board a critical (but often unexplored) issue: how to place people and communities at the heart of the marine planning process.

The report is downloadable for free from the Marine Scotland website.