The new mode of marine planning in the UK: Aspirations and challenges

Since 2009, there has been a shift in UK marine governance with the Marine and Coastal Access Act in which a core mechanism is marine planning, designed to replace a fragmented, ad hoc, and bureaucratic process of marine management with a strategic, integrated, and centralised system. This shift has been justified by the UK government as a more efficient procedure for delivering sustainable development (SD), which is the overarching objective of UK environmental policy. This article, which is based on data from key informant interviews and secondary sources, analyses the shift to understand its aspirations and the challenges facing it. The issues focused on include its holistic approach; its centralising tendencies; its streamlining processes; and its implicit commitment to renewable energy. In these four issues there are tensions between aspirations and challenges, and the conclusion is that the success of the new mode of marine governance depends on satisfactorily resolving these tensions.     

Defining fishers in the South African context: subsistence,artisanal and small-scale commercial sectors

Evolution of a new policy for the management of marine fisheries in South Africa led to the Marine Living Resources Act of 1998 (MLRA). Among other innovations, this requires that management strategies be developed for subsistence fisheries. As a prerequisite, definitions and criteria are needed to identify and distinguish them. To achieve this, the Chief Director of Marine & Coastal Management (MCM), the authority responsible for managing marine fisheries, appointed a Subsistence Fisheries Task Group (SFTG) to make recommendations about definitions and modes of management. The process involved successive surveys and consultations with fishing communities, communication with MCM, and a national workshop of all participants. This led to consensus about the following definition:

Subsistence fishers are poor people who personally harvest marine resources as a source of food or to sell them to meet the basic needs of food security; they operate on or near to the shore or in estuaries, live in close proximity to the resource, consume or sell the resources locally, use low-technology gear (often as part of a long-standing community-based or cultural practice), and the kinds of resources they harvest generate only sufficient returns to meet the basic needs of food security.     

Is there a win–win scenario for marine nature conservation? A case study of Lyme Bay,England

A statutory two hundred and six square kilometre ‘closed area’ in Lyme Bay, South West England entered into force on the 11 July 2008 to protect the reef substrate and the associated biodiversity from the impacts of trawling and dredging with heavy demersal fishing gear. This case study provides an example of how the ecosystem approach has been incorporated into decision making for marine nature conservation and shows that despite sound ecological knowledge of a marine area, the current reliance on traditional neo-classical economic valuations for marine spatial planning can obscure other issues pertinent to the ecosystem approach. With the Government seeking win–win scenarios for stakeholders in the designation of Marine Conservation Zones under the Marine and Coastal Access Act, experience of marine spatial planning in Lyme Bay has revealed that a win–win must be a long-term goal based on a thorough evaluation of the environmental, social and economic values of marine biodiversity.     

Norwegian aquaculture expansion and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM): Simmering conflicts and competing claims

ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) is a decision-making process for sustainable use, development and protection of coastal marine areas and their resources, in continuous realization. Norway is currently dependent upon the commitment and motivations of the municipalities to fulfill its ICZM initiatives. These communities are lacking epistemic communities that can help prevent the simmering conflicts surrounding aquaculture expansion, as demonstrated by media data from 1984–2010. With the forthcoming harvest of the zooplankton redfeed in Norwegian and surrounding waters, the Aquaculture industry could be in a situation of expanded feed resources, which would ensure its expansion if localities are made available. This would also be in line with the Norwegian government's commitment to the expansion of this industry. A government-endorsed growth of the Aquaculture industry will add fuel to these simmering conflicts concerning the use of the eco-system of collective goods and services available along national coastline in Norway for Aquaculture purposes. The suggestions from the recently released report from the Select Committee appointed by the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs in Norway on Effective and Sustainable Area Use in the Aquaculture Industry cab be an aid to supporting the growth of epistemic communities and a subsequent successful national ICZM implementation, thereby paving the way for a conflict-less coastal area management.     

Accommodating ecotourism in multiple use planning of coastal and marine protected areas

Coastal and marine areas the world over provide food, transportation, recreation, and energy resources to increasing numbers of people each year. As demands for these resources rise, the potential for user conflicts is radically heightened. This situation can be avoided or counteracted by instigating proactive multiple use planning. Multiple use zoning plans can only exist in a concrete management framework: marine and coastal protected areas provide just such a foundation. Nature-based or ecotourism can be encouraged in coastal protected areas aimed at achieving sustainability. Well-planned tourism provides economic and political incentives for management and for conservation, and may bring additional benefits to local communities and regional economies. Examples where nature-based tourism has been or is becoming successfully integrated into multiple use planning can be found in Quintana Roo, Mexico; the Lesser Antilles; and Australia, among other areas.     

Marine and coastal policy in the UK: Challenges and opportunities in a new era

Marine and coastal policy in the UK has faced a number of significant changes in recent years, most notably the passing of the Marine and Coastal Access Act in 2009. These changes have brought significant challenges and opportunities for all those involved in the management and use of the UK's marine and coastal environment. This new era of marine policy inspired the UK's first Marine and Coastal Policy forum held in June 2011. In this introductory paper the global context of marine policy changes and the themes which emerged from the forum, forming the basis of the articles in this special issue, are outlined. It is concluded that there is a high level of engagement, capacity and willingness of key stakeholders to work collaboratively to address the environmental, social and economic complexities of managing the marine and coastal environment. It is both evident and encouraging that progress is being made and the many challenges faced in this new era give rise to a number of opportunities to develop new ideas and effective mechanisms for finding solutions.     

Reconciling customary and constitutional law: managing marine resources in Palau, Micronesia

As in much of Oceania, Palauan society of the pre-European contact era practiced sophisticated systems of tenure and management that extended to the fish and other resources of the surrounding coral reefs and lagoons. With its colonial experiences, the opening up of economic and social links with the outside world, and the introduction of highly efficient fishing technologies, Palau’s customary marine resource management systems have eroded.Like most Pacific Island countries, the Republic of Palau only recently gained independence from a western administrating nation. Its constitution, being based on western models, emphasizes democratic and egalitarian ideals. At the same time, it seeks to preserve and revitalize many aspects of customary Palauan society, particularly its institutions and processes of chiefly authority. These customs, however, are based on titled elitism and other principles contrary to those emphasized in the constitution. Through a combination of a series of court decisions that illustrate the incompatibility of the two bodies of law and a lack of any legislative initiative that could reconcile them, the exercise of purely customary authority has been relegated to matters of only minor importance. Thus, as in many Pacific Island nations, independence has contributed to the erosion of traditional tenure and management systems.Some recent village-level initiatives, however, may portend an important shift back toward decentralized, if not exactly traditional, control over the use of Palau’s inshore resources. The constitution’s critical provision that inshore resources are owned by the 16 states has allowed these relatively new village-level political and social units, with their mix of titled and elected leaders, to exert increasing control over inshore resources. They have done so in response to increasing resource scarcity owing to increasing fishing pressure, increasing demand by the booming marine-based tourism sector, and impending resource degradation from physical development. The effectiveness of these emerging local-level management regimes will be determined largely by the degree of support offered by the national government. Little has been forthcoming. The executive branch has been hesitant to support the marine property rights of the states, the judiciary has interpreted the constitution in a manner that has limited the authority of traditional leaders, and the legislature has not enacted laws that might guide the other two branches in interpreting and implementing the constitution with regard to either customary law or state ownership of marine resources.     

Training for marine planners: Present and future needs

Marine planning presents considerable new challenges and opportunities for those responsible for managing the marine environment. In the UK, the Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009) provides a statutory framework for marine planning and has created a new administration responsible for its implementation. If marine planning is to be effective and achieve its stated goals it will require a pool of trained individuals who will be responsible for or will participate in marine planning. Based on data gathered during the development and delivery of an intensive professional course and a masters level programme, this paper explores the key elements of education and training required by marine planners. These include a knowledge of planning processes and national and international laws and conventions; an understanding of how marine plans can integrate with existing terrestrial and coastal plans and other management requirements; and an understanding of the marine and maritime environment, including the human activities and natural features. It concludes with a discussion of the different roles individuals may play in the planning process and thus their different training needs.     

The existing law and policy framework for ocean energy development in Ireland

This paper considers the existing law and policy framework for ocean energy development in Ireland. As a nation, Ireland proposes to have 75 MW of ocean energy connected by 2012 and a further 500 MW by 2020. This has been supported by various policy documents and Government initiatives in recent years. Despite the obvious Government support for offshore renewable energy, the existing legal framework presents a veritable barrier to development progress. This paper provides a succinct overview of the existing applicable legal regime focusing on licensing and planning aspects. Specifically it examines the realities of the Foreshore Acts, Electricity Regulation Act, Planning and Development Acts and associated Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations and their role in wave energy development. This sets the context for a review of the problems associated with the existing legal regime, including delay and uncertainty, before presenting possible measures which may help address them. The latter discussion is framed within the context of developing and forthcoming European and national initiatives such as the Integrated Maritime Policy, Maritime Spatial Planning, Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Strategic Environmental Assessment.     

Recontextualising inshore fisheries: The changing face of British inshore fisheries management

Inshore fisheries are coming under increasing pressure to account for wider environmental impacts and relations with other users of marine space. However approaches to inshore fisheries management across Britain’s devolved governments are becoming even more strikingly divergent. While in England the century old local Sea Fisheries Committees are to be replaced with modernised structures, and in Scotland there are efforts to move to a locally driven management system, in Wales there has been a retreat from local co-management. Not only do the reforms pose ongoing challenges for good governance, not least in the handling of cross-scale interactions and user group participation, but they may also fall short in providing for systematic and full integration of fisheries and marine environmental management.     

Assessment of recreation activity and its application to integrated management and spatial planning for Cork Harbour, Ireland

The coastal environment is commonly the location for multiple human activities, of which recreation is just one. The coastal and marine sector has experienced nascent growth and this trend is likely to continue into the foreseeable future; the projected growth of the sector will impact coastal and marine resources, whilst also placing demands on those tasked with planning and managing the coastal environment. In Ireland, this presents particular challenges for coastal local authorities, as the principal planning consent body. In order to address these emerging challenges an innovative working partnership was developed between the research community and local authority to examine marine recreation in Cork Harbour, situated on the southern coast of Ireland. A programme of work was devised to identify data gaps in terms of: baseline information; user attitudes and perceptions towards existing management framework and facilities for recreation; interactions between different user groups; and, spatial distribution of recreational activities. The results of the assessment provided an improved understanding of the current coastal recreational situation, have value as input to spatial planning and contribute to the development of an integrated management plan for Cork Harbour.     

The State of Rhode Island's pioneering marine spatial plan

The state of Rhode Island's Ocean Special Area Management Plan (Ocean SAMP) is the first marine spatial plan in the United States to be formally approved by the federal government as an element of a state's Coastal Management Program. The 3800 km² Ocean SAMP region includes waters under both state and federal jurisdiction. The Ocean SAMP applies the inclusive, ecosystem-based approach to marine spatial planning recommended by the National Ocean Commission in 2004 that is a feature of the National Ocean Policy promulgated in 2010. It places within a larger spatial planning context the impact assessment process that is the basis for the issuance of leases and permits requested by a developer for a specified activity at a defined marine site. The Ocean SAMP was prepared over a two and a half year period of information generation, analysis, consultation, planning and policy making prompted by the need to identify potentially suitable sites for anticipated offshore wind farms. Its highly consultative approach builds upon the 30 years of experience of the Rhode Island Coastal Program in developing and implementing special area management plans (SAMPs) for coastal and marine areas where conflicts over needs for both development and conservation demand special attention and negotiation among stakeholders with different interests. The phases in the development and approval of the Ocean SAMP, and the prospects for successful implementation are examined through frameworks suggested for the preparation of a governance baseline put forward by the international Land Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ) program.     

基于海洋生态文明建设的我国近岸海域综合治理

为持续改善海洋生态环境和提升海洋生态服务功能,进一步促进海洋生态文明建设和沿海地区可持续发展,文章梳理我国已开展的近岸海域综合治理工作内容,深入分析存在的问题,并基于目标和任务提出对策措施。研究结果表明:20世纪90年代以来,我国陆续实施一系列近岸海域综合治理项目,取得显著成效,但在整体规划、管理机制、统筹协调和科学支撑方面仍存在不足;基于近岸海域综合治理在海水质量、生态服务功能、人居环境和能力建设方面的目标和任务,应加强顶层设计、完善运行监管、坚持陆海统筹和强化基础研究。     

Stakeholders’ participation in the fisheries management decision-making process: Fishers’ perceptions of participation

Public participation is a key ingredient of good governance and there are many advantages of involving stakeholders in the decision-making process. The European Commission identified the lack of stakeholder involvement as one of the major weaknesses of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). As such, the 2002 Reform of the CFP aimed to improve its system of governance by increasing the involvement of stakeholders in decision-making. Over the last decade, Scottish inshore waters have seen an increase in management measures focused on involving fishers, delegating responsibilities and decentralizing management. The present document investigates commercial inshore fishers’ perceptions of participation in the decision-making process and attitudes towards a new management regime – the Inshore Fisheries Groups (IFGs) – which aims to increase participation in and decentralization of inshore fisheries management. A survey was conducted, through face-to-face interviews, and ordered logistic and multiple regression models created to identify which characteristics influence fishers’ perceptions and attitudes. The present analysis concluded that, 5 years subsequent to the reform of the CFP, the majority of inshore fishers perceive themselves not to be consulted or involved in the decision-making process. However, and despite the fact that fishers are not completely certain of the potential of the IFGs to increase their participation in the management process, they have an overall positive attitude towards their implementation.     

Coastal and marine resource use conflicts and sustainable development in Tanzania

A survey of coastal and marine resource use conflicts in Tanzania was carried out to highlight them, investigate their origin and finally, suggest ways of minimizing them. Although Tanzania is putting emphasis on environmental issues, including coastal zone management, integrated coastal area management has not yet been integrated into the government management structure/approach. Many conflicts are the result of sectoral approach to coastal and marine resources management, and improper or poor implementation of government policies. Additionally, the local coastal community, who are the foremost stakeholder, were most often not involved in the planning, decision and implementation of many projects and policies even those that affect them directly. Ignorance about the linkages of coastal and marine ecosystems and resources is also an important factor. I suggest that integrated coastal area management which is the foundation for sustainable development, as far as coastal and marine resources are concerned, should be integrated into the government administrative structure. A lead agency with full authority on all activities on the coastal area, including issuance of permits for environmental sensitive businesses/activities, should be nominated or established. This will reduce conflicts by bringing about national coordination of coastal area management.     

Integrated terrestrial and marine planning in England’s coastal inter-tidal zone: Assessing the operational effectiveness of the Coastal Concordat

In many countries, the regulation of activities and development in the marine environment has begun to evolve from a compartmentalised, fragmented, sectoral and uncoordinated system into a more strategic, comprehensive, integrated and transparent one. A remaining challenge, however, is the effective integration of marine and terrestrial planning, because the tools and mechanisms necessary for its achievement have been slow to be implemented. The introduction of the England's Coastal Concordat in 2013, as a voluntary framework for better integrating marine and terrestrial planning consents, represents an atypical mechanism to secure these goals. This paper is a preliminary survey of the perceived effectiveness of the Coastal Concordat, based on a survey of 32 professionals from the terrestrial planning authorities, marine statutory agencies and marine-sector businesses. While this evaluation is made less than two years after the introduction of the Coastal Concordat, it is important to undertake a preliminary examination, from various stakeholder perspectives, of the factors likely to be influential in the integration of regulatory systems, before the approach is ‘rolled out’ across other parts of England's inter-tidal coastal zone. The results indicate that the Coastal Concordat has produced benefits for marine planning in coastal areas, but that these improvements are largely experienced within the public sector in terms of better communication, early engagement, and a single point of contact. The marine sector businesses are more neutral about the benefits of the Concordat. It is clear, however, that marine sector businesses must participate in the formulation of any reforms if an effective integrated system of planning and management of coastal environments is to be achieved.     

基于绿色发展的我国近海渔业资源开发利用

为保护我国近海渔业资源,实现海洋渔业的绿色发展,文章梳理我国近海渔业资源开发利用状况,结合存在的问题及其对海洋生态环境的影响,提出对策建议。研究结果表明:2017年我国近海海水养殖产量同比略有提高,海洋捕捞产量同比略有降低;2008—2017年养殖空间有所优化,以筏式养殖和底播养殖为主,深水网箱养殖和工厂化养殖的产量显著提高,海洋捕捞以拖网捕捞为主;我国近海渔业资源开发利用存在海水养殖能力与养殖面积不相称、养殖空间日趋萎缩和超负荷、养殖低效以及海洋捕捞能力不均和强度较高等问题,给海洋生态环境带来污染海水环境、占用生态空间和破坏渔业资源等不利影响,亟须完善海洋生态补偿制度、促进渔业资源恢复和合理开发利用渔业资源。     

A comparison between coastal hazard planning in New Zealand and the evolving approach in England and Wales

There is concern in England and Wales over the complexity and short comings of the current arrangements for coastal hazard planning and management. At a time of major constitutional reform involving a strengthened role for regional government, the UK needs to learn from other countries with a strong regional dimension which have developed successful systems for coastal hazard planning and management. New Zealand provides such an example. Recent local government reform and the ‘revolutionary’ Resource Management Act (RMA) 1991 have created a new organisational and administrative framework for coastal hazard planning and policy development in New Zealand which fosters integration, involves all levels of government and extends offshore. This paper provides a comparison of the regional dimension of coastal hazard planning in the two areas, focusing on the status, scope and jurisdiction of regional planning bodies and initiatives as well as investigating issues relating to intergovernmental and cross-sectoral links and public involvement. Although the widely acclaimed RMA is not the panacea for coastal management it was once hoped to be, the New Zealand experience illustrates the advantages of clearly defined roles for different levels of government, with emphasis on regional decision-making and extensive community involvement.     

Marine biodiversity in the Caribbean UK overseas territories: Perceived threats and constraints to environmental management

Islands are often considered to be a priority for conservation, because of their relatively high levels of biodiversity and their vulnerability to a range of natural and anthropogenic threats. However, the capacity of islands to conserve and manage biodiversity may depend upon their governance structures. Many island states are affiliated to other countries through an ‘overseas territory’ status, which may provide them with access to resources and support mechanisms, but which may also influence the capacity for local-scale management of environmental issues. The United Kingdom has 12 island Overseas Territories (UKOTs), most of which support biodiversity of high conservation concern. This study investigates perceptions of current and future threats to marine ecosystems and constraints to environmental protection on the six Caribbean UKOTs, through semi-structured interviews with officials from UK and UKOT government departments and non-governmental organisations. Coastal development, pollution and over-fishing were perceived as threats of most concern for the next decade, but climate change was perceived as by far the greatest future threat to the islands' marine ecosystems. However, a series of common institutional limitations that currently constrain mitigation and conservation efforts were also identified, including insufficient personnel and financial support, a lack of long-term, sustainable projects for persistent environmental problems and inadequate environmental legislation. These findings highlight the need for regional cooperation and capacity-building throughout the Caribbean and a more concerted approach to an UKOT environmental management by the UK and UKOTs' governments.     

The marine and coastal access act—A hornets' nest?

The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 is now enacted into law. This paper looks at predictions made about new law by one of the authors, Peter Jones, in his paper The Marine Bill: Cornucopia or Pandora's Box [1] and assesses how successful the Act has been in turning aspirations into law. The paper focuses on the following areas: ecosystem protection, stakeholder engagement, marine spatial planning and the provision of a network of highly protected marine reserves, and raises concerns that the ecosystem approach has progressively been dropped in the drafting process of the legislation. Concerns are raised that the new Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities have similar inherent conflicts of interest to those exhibited by Sea Fisheries Committees, which they sought to replace. The effectiveness of marine planning is questioned, as there appear to be inbuilt loopholes for public authorities to avoid complying with the marine plans. The draft marine policy statement (MPS), published in July 2010, includes appropriate environmental safeguards, but the MPS has not yet been formally adopted. The absence of a concrete target for highly protected marine reserves means there is a danger that designations under the Act may have little effect on the ground. In conclusion the Act provides some new mechanisms for marine protection, but arguably does not yet provide a framework for implementing the ecosystem approach and is not an end in itself.