Indigenous knowledge exchange - policy and communities

The message from this session has been that the messenger is as important as the message. We’ve been asked to consider how researchers should consider better partnerships with indigenous groups living in the Arctic, and by proxy, relationships with local people everywhere. Building trust is not only important for developing effective policy, it impacts all areas of science where there is a link between people, environment, and the research. We’ve discussed several ideas about the importance of building trust, but an interesting outcome has been the recognition that meaningful partnerships with indigenous groups, or for that matter, local communities, can be a vehicle for real policy change at national and international levels. 

In Canada, regional land claim agreements have implications for international law. Art 16 of the Yukon Agreement places a duty on government to consult and engage with First Nations over issues such as land use, fisheries and water including discussions over international treaties. This can filter up into organisations such as the Arctic Council and lead to broader debates and support for indigenous self-determination. This would certainly be a welcome counter balance to the current discourse on energy development and mineral exploitation, though I recognise that the two are inextricably linked.

  

Being in involved in policy change is a difficult position for many researchers, and this may be, at least under the surface, why many in science avoid meaningful partnerships with communities or stakeholders. Policy change can lead to conflict with government, although, it can also lead to meaningful reform that builds sustainable development. Whether from the natural or social sciences, it is important to consider how we can deepen our relationship with communities and stakeholders in our research. Not only will it benefit the research itself, it means that recommendations may actually make a difference.

Marine Litter and Ganavan Sands....natural perfection?

Marine litter is a serious and complex problem that impacts the coastline in every country. It is pervasive, difficult to control, and requires a mix of education and enforcement approaches. Once in the marine environment, plastics directly impact marine mammals, birds, fish and coastal systems; impact marine activities such as fishing, tourism and recreation; and reduce the beauty of the coastal environment for all. Insidiously, marine plastics do not biodegrade, they slowly break up into 'micro-plastics' which move through the marine ecosystem for hundreds of years and eventually enter the food chain. Importantly, marine and coastal litter requires a sense of awareness of the scale of the problem matched with a sense of local ownership and empowerment. Since a considerable amount of litter enters the marine environment from the land, action from communities is a critical element of solving the problem.

Ganavan Sands is a local public coastal space combined with a beachfront residential development situated in Oban in the UK. The area is a part of the scenic and beautiful Highlands and Islands region of the West Coast of Scotland.The signage for Ganavan Sands clearly states the selling point of the development as 'inspired by...natural perfection', and is located in an area of important coastal habitat. The local waters are home to basking sharks, dolphins, common and grey seals, a variety of seabirds and inshore habitats. Unfortunately, the 'natural perfection' slogan appears to only extend to the devleopment's sales pitch, in actual fact, the reality is quite different.

The following unsavory pictures were taken on a recent visit to visit to Ganavan. A considerable amount of the source of the rubbish was from the building site adjacent to the beach. Many plastic items used in residential construction have found there way to the beach due to poor and substandard waste management practices by the construction group. These items will be washed out in the tides to affect marine life, marine users, and significantly impact local amenity.

Not quite the 'panoramic sea views, beautiful sandy beaches, and breathtaking landscapes' as highlighted in the welcome on the developer's website Ganavan Sands. In fact, pretty much the opposite. Fortunately, the local authority, Argyll and Bute Council have left their details on the sign in the public car park, and Sustainable Seas will be making further inquires to make sure the beach is cleaned up and the polluter pays principal is applied in the context of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. At a minimum Sustainable Seas calls for the implementation and enforcement of a Litter Control Area under the Act. If you want to know more about how to act on litter, Keep Scotland Beautiful publish a great leaflet: Litter and the Law in Scotland. Also, we encourage you to make contact with the local authority and the developer directly and express your views. Marine litter is everyone's problem.

We'll be keeping a close eye on the situation and will report progress on this blog.

Natural perfection?? I don't think so.

Humanities and the sciences

The following post by Darian Meacham about the humanities and the sciences on the Open Democracy blog, while not directly related to the marine environment, is critically important - and great reading! Funding cuts to universities aside (we've heard a lot about that of late) the broader question of linking the natural and social sciences, or broader still, natural and social systems, is fundamental to thinking and feeling our way towards sustainable societies.

The two go hand in hand, science often provides the technical know how for adaptation, invention and knowledge, while the role of creativity, the arts, humanities and society can provide the foundation for driving driving innovation (and inspiration!). When thinking about marine issues, the resolution of many problems, including local conflicts, climate change, MPAs, or renewable energy, will require a mix of technical/scientific and human/social approaches. Take for example renewable energy - the industry is leaping ahead in innovative and technical terms, market forces are reducing costs, and we are seeing infrastructure appearing on land and water (the scientific side). On the other had, public acceptance of renewables is still an open issue, the responses of communities to development sometimes breeds conflict and uncertainty, and the politics behind marine planning is embryonic (the social dimension).

This social side of the equation has recently become the subject of a revival .The idea of phronesis is an interesting drive in the social sciences, and concerns deliberation, context, values and decision making. Hand in hand with natural science, the following questions and actions can be pursued in a particular context :

• Where are we going?
• Who gains and who loses, by which mechanisms of power?
• Is this development desirable?
• What should we do about it?

'White-anting' the social sciences and humanities (in the UK) in favour of the natural sciences will not bring us any closer to sustainable seas, coasts , and communities. Natural science is obviously critical in understanding natural systems and providing the technical innovation for sustainability. The social sciences, the other side of the coin and an equal partner, bring the people with us.