Heritage management plans and integrated coastal management

This paper examines at the origins of coastal zone management and planning in England and from that, how integrated coastal zone management techniques were developed. The lack of heritage management planning in coastal plans in England is discussed and put into context of ‘integrated heritage zone management’ approaches. Having looked at these two systems, examples of good practice are discussed. The concept of spatial planning is also discussed and the opportunities that this might offer for integrating coastal and heritage planning in the Solent are considered.     

Coastal management in the Solent: The stakeholder perspective

This paper presents the findings of a survey of stakeholder views concerning the management of the Solent and the role of the Solent Forum. Views were obtained through a questionnaire survey of participants at the Solent Forum Coastal Management Conference 2004. The results of the survey were used to inform the Solent Forum's work plan and priority work areas. It was found that coastal defence is the key concern of stakeholders, that complex legislation is the main barrier to effective management of the Solent, that most drivers of change relate to national and European policy, and that sea level rise is the key future management challenge for the Solent. In this context, the evidence suggested that the Solent Forum should retain a role that facilitates co-ordinated management and brokers stakeholder involvement in coastal decision-making. It was concluded that given the complexities of the position facing the Solent Forum, any decisions on its future approach should be a reflection of the needs of all stakeholders working in partnership.     

Identification of ‘High Risk Vessels’ in coastal waters

The development of criteria for the identification of ‘High Risk Vessels’ (HRV) in European waters would allow coastal States to monitor the movements of ships posing significant risk to their interests. However, the pro-active monitoring by coastal States can only be carried out in compliance with the requirements of international law of the sea and with the framework of rights and duties of coastal States established in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. This paper proposes ‘HRV’ criteria on the basis of technical standards and rules widely accepted by States through Port State Control Agreements, thus providing a legal basis for the monitoring of ‘HRV’ by coastal States.     

Coastal management in the Solent: An introduction

This paper introduces the Solent as a dynamic estuarine complex located on the central south coast of England. The physical and socio-cultural geographies of the Solent are described and the difficulties of managing the multiple uses of the area are discussed. The Solent Forum, a partnership of Solent stakeholders, is then presented as the facilitator of an integrated approach to coastal management in the Solent. The Solent Forum Coastal Management Conference, held in Portsmouth in 2004, is introduced as the source of the papers in this special issue. The Conference highlighted the link between the science and management aspects of the Solent in light of a suite of emergent pressures, including in physical terms development pressure and sea level change, and in legal terms the UK Marine Bill, Water Framework Directive and English ICZM Strategy. The article ends with an overview of the papers in the special issue.     

Analytic network process for criteria selection in sustainable coastal land use planning

The coastal lands are very important boundaries in the natural system. But these areas are under pressure that has threatened their health by short-sighted planning policies. The management options have focused on economic production and human benefits rather than the natural systems that guaranty sustainability of them. Evaluation of sustainability in coastal lands needs some critical criteria and indicators. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate an innovative reliable method for identification of the most important criteria and indicators using multi criteria techniques, especially the Analytic Network Process (ANP). Analytic Network Process as a new approach has potential to be applied into the field of coastal land use development. This is the first time ANP has been used for criteria selection to ensure sustainability in coastal land use planning. The integration of social, economic and environmental criteria within the planning framework in this paper has provided a holistic approach for integrated coastal land use development.     

A critical review of the CoastView project: Recent and future developments in coastal management video systems

This contribution provides a critical review of the CoastView project; a research program designed to develop and quantify video-derived Coastal State Indicators (CSIs) which simplify various aspects of coastal zone management including, coastal protection, navigation and recreation. This paper aims to provide a guide to future applied research projects of this kind. The research program implemented a ‘frame of reference’ methodology in order to effectively match research outcomes to the needs of end users and to facilitate communication within a consortium comprising both scientists and end users of the technology. Data derived from coastal video systems played a crucial role in defining CSIs which form a central component of the ‘frame of reference’ process. In general coastal video systems were demonstrated to be a very effective coastal management tool in all of the areas under investigation, uniquely providing data with excellent spatial and temporal resolution and coverage. Additionally, the ‘frame of reference’ ensured the appropriate match of science to the needs of the end user. However, even given these significant advances, the transfer of useful methodologies to applied tools is not guaranteed. The importance of providing simple, robust tools for delivering CSIs simply and efficiently to the coastal manager at the appropriate time-scale was recognised; ideally this should be completed within the timeframe of the research program. The acceptance of new methodologies is greatly enhanced by demonstrating them alongside more established techniques and other data sources, clearly showing the advantages, reliability and accuracy of the new approach.     

The opportunities of spatial planning for integrated coastal management

This paper explains the nature of spatial planning and its incorporation into amended town and country planning legislation for England. It comments on current coastal management in England, including discussion on marine spatial planning, and examines how the new planning legislation provides opportunities for implementing aspects of coastal policy through planning, using shoreline management and coastal regeneration as examples. It considers how these opportunities may be developed for the Solent. The paper concludes that these opportunities must be seized if the longer-term sustainable future of the English coast is to be secured.     

Biological indicators in the Caribbean coastal zone and their role in integrated coastal management

Caribbean coastal ecosystems are increasingly being threatened by natural and anthropogenic factors. The scale of these factors is at local, national, regional and global levels. Threats include the effects of fisheries and extraction, eutrophication, siltation, and pollution as well as global climate events such as El Niño and global climate change. Integrated coastal management (ICM) should clearly demonstrate the adverse effects of environmental impacts, thus justifying the need for mitigation and should evaluate the success of management efforts. ICM requires robust indicators that gauge the ‘health’ of the coast in relation to environmental, social and economic activities. Biological indicators (bioindicators) offer a signal of the biological condition in an ecosystem. Using bioindicators as an early warning of pollution or degradation in an ecosystem can help sustain critical resources. Biological indicators in the Caribbean are focused around particular ecosystems, especially coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove forests and include a range of biological parameters relating to particular species, groups of species and biological processes. The use of these indicators is critically reviewed and the presence or absence of a relevant framework for their use in Caribbean ICM programs is discussed.     

Assessment of eco-labelling schemes for Pacific tuna fisheries

Developments in fisheries governance in recent decades—notably the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and its implementing agreements—have established a framework of principles, standards, institutions and regulations that is broader and more complex than traditional fisheries management, which has generally focused on individual target species. As this framework has evolved, a number of seafood eco-labelling schemes have also developed. These schemes aim to identify well-managed fisheries and give competitive advantage to their products, thus translating the environmental awareness of consumers into direct support for sustainable fishing practices. This paper evaluates a number of these schemes in the context of international fisheries governance principles and considers the conservation benefits that may result from sustainability certification of Pacific tuna fisheries. The paper briefly summarises developments in eco-labeling of Pacific tuna fisheries in relation to the evolution of fisheries management, where focus has shifted from the maximum sustainable yield of individual tuna species to ecosystem-based approaches that directly consider the broader environmental impacts of fishing. The paper discusses two different ‘Dolphin Safe’ eco-labels, the third-party scheme of the Earth Island Institute and the intergovernmental scheme of the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program, and two broader eco-labels offering sustainability certification of fisheries, ‘Friend of the Sea’ and the ‘Marine Stewardship Council’. The role played by seafood-industry associations with sustainability claims, such as the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, is also considered.     

Implications of the revision to the bathing water directive for local authorities in the Solent

This paper focuses on the revision to the Bathing Water Directive and its likely implications for local authorities in the United Kingdom. It outlines the proposal and its current status in European negotiation and the likely outcome. It then details the work the Solent Forum, in particular a subgroup that focuses on water quality, the Solent Water Quality Association, has done in relation to the proposed revision and their implications for coastal local authorities. Initially, this group considered what the implications for coastal local authorities might be through a national conference and has since concentrated on ensuring authorities at the local level are prepared for the enhanced responsibilities the changes will place on them. This has been achieved through individual project work related to ensuring beach management plans are in place for incidents of non-compliance, undertaking research at local beaches to understand the needs of the public vis-a-vis information, and hosting national events to share best practice.     

The development of world oceans & coasts and concepts of sustainability

The current phase of technological development and expansion in the world economy is leading to greater human activity and development offshore. Some have described this as the colonisation of the oceans, one phase in the wider history of world industrialisation. This study empirically tests notions of ‘industrialisation’ and ‘colonisation’ in the oceans for the first time. It finds that human activity in the oceans has increased by multiple factors in the most recent long term wave of economic development. The methods include the combined use of Raster and R! to overcome methodological challenges to analyse large spatial datasets which map the footprint of human activity. In response to increasing human activity in the oceans, nations and supranational institutions are developing new governance regimes. These regimes are characterised by policy integration and a commitment to sustainability. Sustainable development is a central tenet of most national and international policies for the world's oceans. An analysis of sustainable development terminology within coastal and ocean policy is provided for seven major maritime governance regimes: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, EU, South Africa, UK and the US. The results show that sustainability is highly differentiated in the context of ‘the blue planet’ (oceans and coasts). The diverse interpretations of sustainability present an impasse to measuring progress in the field. Therefore the paper concludes by offering a framework for explanation and interpretation of sustainable development, by linking it to foundational assumptions held by systems of thought or philosophical traditions.     

The Hamble Estuary Partnership and Solent Forum: Duplication or integration?

This paper considers the role of the Hamble Estuary Partnership, a local voluntary coastal stakeholder partnership that is focused on the coordinated management of a small estuary in the Solent. More specifically, the paper critically examines the relationship between the Hamble Estuary Partnership and Solent Forum in order to determine evidence of duplication or integration between the two partnerships. It was found that the aspirations and working principles of the two partnerships were consistent and the methods of working and focus of activity of each partnership were distinctive yet complementary. However, it was also found that evidence of vertical policy integration was limited. It was concluded that although the two-tier partnership model presented an opportunity to deliver vertically integrated policies in the Hamble estuary, this opportunity was yet to be fully realised.     

Study of coastal water zone ecosystem health in Zhejiang Province based on remote sensing data and GIS

The coastal ecosystem health assessment is a field of increasing importance. In this paper, a preliminary assessment of ecosystem health in Zhejiang coastal water zone was made, mainly based on remote sensing data and GIS technique. Its spatial and quantitative evaluation was facilitated by the progress of remote sensing and GIS technique development. Firstly, human activities, hydrology and ecosystem problems in the study area were discussed and analyzed. Secondly, from 4 aspects of human stress, physical, chemical and biological responses to anthropogenic activities and natural stress, several indicators such as water transparency (Secchi Disk Depth, SDD), suspended substance concentration, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, active phosphate, chlorophyll, harmful algae bloom, as well as distribution of sewage, sea lanes and port were employed. Thirdly, the Analytic Hierarchical Process was used for indicator weight calculation, and the ecosystem health criteria were established according to the integrative analysis of national water quality criteria, similar coastal ecosystem health research in other places or data inherent properties. The results indicated that from 2005 to 2007 the coastal water ecosystem health value in Zhejiang Province was unhealthy and needs ecological restoration by human intervention.     

Assessing local sustainability of fisheries system: a multi-criteria participatory approach with the case of Yoron Island,Kagoshima prefecture,Japan

In this study, we developed a framework for analyzing what we called “local accepted” fishery sustainability indicators by involving the fishery stakeholders in the Yoron Island, Japan. The results of study revealed that, from the degree of importance point of view, the security level and fishing management indicator are considered to be the most important indicators based on the stakeholders’ value. From the results of cognitive mapping analyses, we found that there are five indicators which have highest domain, while the succession rate indicator has the highest centrality value. It means that these indicators could be considered to have an important role for the overall sustainability of fisheries in the island.     

System evaluation of sustainability in the Norwegian cod-fisheries

Overcapacity in the fishing fleets is considered as the most serious threat to sustainable fisheries. More effective fishing vessels and catching gear contribute to increased catch capacity. Increased catch capacity causes environmental problems such as overexploitation and calls for larger quotas. The problem of overcapacity indicates the need for a stronger integration of technological aspects into fisheries management. This article assesses the differences in sustainability between the Norwegian ocean and coastal fishing fleets in the cod fisheries, by using systems engineering methods. Attributes of sustainability in the Norwegian cod fishing fleets are investigated, as well as acceptance criteria and performance indicators. The results show that there are huge differences in the performance between the vessel groups, and that the results of an evaluation of sustainability in the fishing fleets are dependent on which attributes are explored. Thus, the discussion may contribute to a better decision basis and improved sustainability in fisheries management.     

Use of a high-resolution profiling sonar and a towed video camera to map a Zostera marina bed,Solent, UK

Seagrasses are flowering plants that develop into extensive underwater meadows and play a key role in the coastal ecosystem. In the last few years, several techniques have been developed to map and monitor seagrass beds in order to protect them. Here, we present the results of a survey using a profiling sonar, the Sediment Imager Sonar (SIS) and a towed video sledge to study a Zostera marina bed in the Solent, southern UK. The survey aimed to test the instruments for seagrass detection and to describe the area for the first time.     

Tasmanian marine protected areas: Attitudes and perceptions of wild capture fishers

In 1999 the Marine and Marine Industries Council was established by the Tasmanian (Australia) State Government and in 2001 a Tasmanian Marine Protected Area Strategy was launched. The aims of this paper are to: investigate the views, perceptions and attitudes of commercial fishers towards this Strategy and to identify the key issues that influence fisher support or opposition to marine protected areas (MPAs). Fifty-one structured interviews with license supervisors of commercial abalone, rock lobster and scalefish fishers were conducted. Fishers stated that they would conditionally support MPAs if they sustained or increased fish populations, supported research, allowed fishing in multiple use areas, and if multiple use areas contained small ‘no-take’ zones. Fishers were concerned about the ability of the government to provide adequate marine protected area monitoring and compliance and were critical of the public consultation process that accompanied the development of the Strategy. Concern was expressed regarding the potential negative impact of additional MPAs in terms of resource sustainability and the long-term economic viability of the fishery.     

Shifting sands? Coastal protection by sand banks,beaches and dunes

In a closely integrated system, (sub-) littoral sandy sediments, sandy beaches, and sand dunes offer natural coastal protection for a host of environmentally and economically important areas and activities inland. Flooding and coastal erosion pose a serious threat to these environments, a situation likely to be exacerbated by factors associated with climate change. Despite their importance, these sandy ‘soft’ defences have been lost from many European coasts through the proliferation of coastal development and associated hard-engineering and face further losses due to sea-level rise, subsidence, storm surge events, and coastal squeeze. As part of the EU-funded THESEUS project we investigated the critical drivers that determine the persistence and maintenance of sandy coastal habitats around Europe's coastline, taking particular interest in their close link with the biological communities that inhabit them. The successful management of sandy beaches to restore and sustain sand budgets (e.g. via nourishment), depends on the kind of mitigation undertaken, local beach characteristics, and on the source of ‘borrowed’ sediment. We found that inter-tidal invertebrates were good indicators of changes linked to different mitigation options. For sand dunes, field observations and manipulative experiments investigated different approaches to create new dune systems, in addition to measures employed to improve dune stabilisation. THESEUS provides a ‘toolbox’ of management strategies to aid the management, restoration, and creation of sandy habitats along our coastlines, but we note that future management must consider the connectivity of sub-littoral and supra-littoral sandy habitats in order to use this natural shoreline defence more effectively.     

THE COASTAL SWELLS OF CHINESE COAST IN WINTER

In winter, ,at the coast of China, the direction of swells is generally different from that of the winds, but we could not find the generation area of these coastal swells on the weather map. In this paper, the differences between the 'coastal swells' and the other swells are studied, and we realize that the 'coastal swells' are developed from the wind waves after refraction near the shore or developed from the coastvvard component of the wind waves.     

Striking the right balance? Applying the jurisprudence of international tribunals to coastal state innovations in international fisheries governance

While the coastal State has ‘sovereign rights’ with respect to the exploration, exploitation, conservation and management of the living resources of the exclusive economic zone, including the right to take the necessary enforcement measures, these rights are not as all-encompassing as they first appear. In practice, the geographic and substantive limitations on the coastal State's jurisdiction in the exclusive economic zone provide significant challenges to effective fisheries governance and enforcement. This paper considers the approaches that have been adopted – or could be adopted – by coastal States seeking to improve the reach and effectiveness of their jurisdiction over the living resources of the exclusive economic zone, by reference to the current state of jurisprudence from international courts and tribunals.