A new approach to mapping marine policy...

Often policy processes in coastal and marine systems are difficult to understand, opaque, or the means of making changes are hard to identify.  A new paper by Bainbridge, Potts and O'Higgins is freely available in the journal Plos One that demonstrates an approach to mapping and understanding marine and coastal policy. The approach, called Rapid Policy Network Mapping (RPNM) aims to improve the understanding and positioning of actors and institutions in environmental policy, see who is represented and where, and identify the 'levers of change'. It is a generic tool - one that can be used anywhere and at any scale - and users are asked to contribute to a growing community of online maps and debate about how the ecosystem approach can be implemented.

The main benefits of RPNM are that it:

1. Captures the majority and most significant instruments and actors in the development of specific policies.
2. Aggregates and compares actors and instruments by policy domain.
3. Provides a robust platform of data as a baseline for reference or further research or action e.g. multi-modal network analysis, policy networks etc.
4. Provides a web based tool for dynamic collaboration.
5. Is a means of understanding and visualising complex policy systems and identifies where changes can be driven through the system. 
6. Can be developed at a reasonably low cost and deployed rapidly. 
7. Helps understand who does what and where, who is over and under represented in policy debates.

New Marine Protected Areas for the UK

This morning the BBC has reported a sharp increase in the amount and scope of marine protected areas in UK waters.Under the Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009) there is a legal obligation to implement a 'coherent' network of MPAs, driven in turn by agreements at the international level such as OSPAR and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Under the Act, MPAs within an 'ecologically coherent network' should be developed for the waters of England and the offshore region for Wales. In Scotland this would occur under a separate legislative process (The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010) and in Northern Ireland the process has not started.

It is a considerable expansion - from an approximate level of 1% to 25% - that would significantly protect marine ecosystems.....and livelihoods. The zones, while incorporation marine protection, also allow for human activity at various levels - particularly activities that do not adversely damage the features under protection. This will clearly be a challenge to activities that generate some impact, and will potentially drive innovation towards sustainable uses of the sea. Management plans and zoning of activities have not been discussed at this point, what we see today is the initial designation of sites that will feed into a scientific review and a further political negotiation.

Two points to end on - it is likely that the network will be altered under the negotiation process; and the management planning process for protected sites will be critical to ensure marine features are conserved and appropriate and sustainable marine activities are allowed to flourish.

The UK National Ecosystem Assessment

Well...its arrived.

After a lot of research and input, the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (a mini version of the MEA) has delivered its initial assessment of the value of UK ecosystems. This is quite a big deal, and represents the first scientific assessment of the 'value of nature' and the services it provides to society. I, like many others, tend to be sceptical about placed £ or $ on the value of nature. For me, the answer is easy - it is infinite. Without healthily natural systems and a function ecology, we are dead and there is no society. Easy. Or, at a different scale, if I'm asked to value my local beach where I grew up in Australia, where I regularly walked, surfed, swam and pondered, I would be hard pressed to quantify this in terms of monetary value. It means far more than that, it is a part of my heritage, culture and well being. The salt is in my blood.

However, that said, there is immense value in estimating ecosystem services and benefits. The overall finding rings very true:

"The natural world, its biodiversity and its constituent ecosystems are critically important to our well-being and economic prosperity, but are consistently undervalued in conventional economic analyses and decision making."

Despite my scepticism and inherent discomfort at valuing life, decisions are made that do not take into account the benefits of functioning ecosystems and the broader benefits they provide to society. In this world of cost and benefit, it is increasingly useful to balance the ledger books, and to make rational economic arguments that support conservation. To the reports credit, valuation of benefits is not purely in monetary terms - it recognises that values are as much social as economic. How these non monetary values stack up against economic arguments is yet to be seen, and will be interesting in the future in terms of pragmatic decision making and EIA.

How does do coasts and marine perform? The report identifies that these broad habitats provide a range of important functions, from provisioning services that supply resources to society, regulating services that underpin functioning habitats, and culturing services that provide a sense of place and wonder. Many of these services are in decline in coastal and marine settings, due to heavy use and exploitation, increased development, eutrophication and the impacts of climate change. While the report brings to light the benefits and values of coastal and marine services, it is clear the evidence base is narrow. Critically, we have to ask the 'so what' question - if ecosystem services are valuable and in decline in some areas, what happens next? Will they steer development or resource use decisions?

Marine consultations in the UK

Info release from Defra

Please be advised the public consultations and supporting documents on the Marine Policy Statement, the Marine Planning System and Marine Licensing are now live and can be accessed on the following links:

The Marine Policy Statement (UK) will be the first part of new systems of marine planning being introduced around the UK. It will provide the high level policy context within which Marine Plans will be developed, and set the direction for marine licensing and other relevant authorisation systems.

The Marine Policy Statement will be the overarching policy framework for the UK marine area.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/marine-policy/index.htm

The Marine Planning System consultation sets out the marine planning system in England for the new Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and other interested organisations and persons. It aims to provide a context for the Marine Policy Statement consultation by outlining the planning system in England as a whole.

This document is far reaching and, as such, Defra invites the views of all coastal, marine and terrestrial stakeholders who will be affected by this new system. This includes, amongst others, those in the fields of industry, research, nature and heritage conservation, town-planning, regeneration, recreation and tourism.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/marine-planning/index.htm

A new Marine Licensing System introduced by the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 will be launched in Spring 2011. The consultation (England only) sets out policy proposals for the implementation of the new system, covering key aspects including the application process, appeals against licensing decisions, and exemptions.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/marine-licensing-system/index.htm

The summary of responses to the Marine Plan area consultation can be accessed on the following link:

The consultation sought views on the proposed marine plan area boundaries for English inshore and offshore regions and the criteria for selecting the order in which the Marine Management Organisation should begin planning within those regions. A summary of responses to the Marine Plan area consultation can be found on the following link:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/marine-plan/index.htm