Institutional challenges for policy-making and fisheries advice to move to a full EAFM approach within the current governance structures for marine policies

The European Union is aiming to implement an Ecosystem Approach for the management of all human activities in the marine environment, hereunder the fisheries sector. Since the last reform of the Common Fisheries Policy in 2013, several analyses have highlighted the barriers and challenges to this aim. Despite the claim that much of the framework to support the implementation of an EAFM in Europe is in place, the findings point out to deterrent features within the governance system. Beyond the overall policy framework, this paper explores the implementation of the multiannual multispecies management plans as one of the real moves towards Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management. This is carried out on the basis of two case studies that address the design of multiannual multispecies management plans for the Baltic Sea and for the Atlantic Pelagic fisheries. The analyses strengthen with empirical evidences our understanding of the challenges ahead including, among others, an institutional gap between fisheries and environmental policy frameworks resulting in a limited integration of broader environmental concerns in one of the proposed plan and the standoff between decision-makers that delays the adoption and use of proposed management plans and creates frustration for the involved agencies.     

What are the major global threats and impacts in marine environments? Investigating the contours of a shared perception among marine scientists from the bottom-up.

Marine scientists broadly agree on which major processes influence the sustainability of marine environments worldwide. Recent studies argue that such shared perceptions crucially shape scientific agendas and are subject to a confirmation bias. Based on these findings a more explicit engagement with scientists’ (shared) perceptions of global change in marine environments is called for. This paper takes stock of the shared understanding in marine science of the most pertinent, worldwide threats and impacts that currently affect marine environments. Using results from an email survey among leading academics in marine science this article explores if a shared research agenda in relation to global change in marine environments exists. The analysis demonstrates that marine scientists across disciplines are largely in agreement on some common features of global marine change. Nevertheless, the analysis also highlights where natural and social scientists diverge in their assessment. The article ends discussing what these findings imply for further improvement of interdisciplinary marine science.     

Public perceptions of sharks: Gathering support for shark conservation

With increasing evidence of the destructive impacts of human activities on the ocean there is a growing call for stronger public engagement in marine governance. An understanding of marine issues and pro-environmental values are key elements that influence an individual׳s engagement in conservation and pro-environmental behaviour. This paper presents a study on public perceptions of sharks and shark conservation in the UK. The study investigated knowledge of and attitudes towards sharks of a group of individuals with a clear interest in the marine environment, as well as possible factors that might influence their perceptions of sharks, in order to make recommendations on how to foster engagement in shark conservation. The key finding was that important prerequisites for engagement in shark conservation exist among parts of the UK public. However, this does not seem to be enough to motivate actual engagement. The study discusses a number of specific challenges with regard to sharks which might be influencing the way in which society connects to shark related issues. It concludes with priority recommendations for further investigation into potential catalysts for public engagement in shark conservation.     

Public awareness of the economic potential and threats to sharks of a tropical oceanic archipelago in the western South Atlantic

Conservation actions for sharks are hampered partly by the negative beliefs and inaccurate knowledge about them among the general public. This paper investigated the knowledge and attitude of residents and tourists towards shark species of Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, a marine protected area, and one of the major ecotourism destinations in Brazil. Findings showed that residents had a lower knowledge of sharks and less positive attitudes towards sharks than tourists. Even though residents did not see sharks as threats to humans and they were aware of the role of the archipelago as a shark nursery, they did not completely understand the sharks' ecological and economic importance. This distinction between residents' and tourists' perceptions of sharks demands different strategies to assure engagement in management and conservation policies relating to both groups. Management actions focusing on providing enjoyable experiences with sharks to residents and enhancing their participation in tourist activities related to sharks are presented. They would require innovative cooperation between scientific, management and environmental institutions to build initiatives aimed at increasing the knowledge and improving attitudes of residents towards shark conservation and to homogenise conservation values held by the entire public on the archipelago.     

Shallow waters: social science research in South Africa's marine environment

This paper provides an overview of social science research in the marine environment of South Africa for the period 1994–2012. A bibliography based on a review of relevant literature and social science projects funded under the SEAChange programme of the South African Network for Coastal and Oceanic Research (SANCOR) was used to identify nine main themes that capture the knowledge generated in the marine social science field. Within these themes, a wide diversity of topics has been explored, covering a wide geographic area. The review suggests that there has been a steady increase in social science research activities and outputs over the past 18 years, with a marked increase in postgraduate dissertations in this field. The SEAChange programme has contributed to enhancing understanding of certain issues and social interactions in the marine environment but this work is limited. Furthermore, there has been limited dissemination of these research results amongst the broader marine science community and incorporation of this information into policy and management decisions has also been limited. However, marine scientists are increasingly recognising the importance of taking a more holistic and integrated approach to management, and are encouraging further social science research, as well as interdisciplinary research across the natural and social sciences. Possible reasons for the lack of communication and coordination amongst natural and social scientists, as well as the limited uptake of research results in policy and management decisions, are discussed and recommendations are proposed.     

Scientists’ prioritization of global coastal research questions

Complex coastal management challenges often span ecological and political boundaries, and involve competing demands from groups advocating alternative coastal management strategies. As a consequence, policy-makers require scientific evidence from across a range of disciplines. Implementing cross-disciplinary research and facilitating science-policy engagement are, however, a significant challenge in its own right. Seven recent ecologically oriented ‘big question’ exercises identified a variety of research questions potentially important for coastal and marine management. In this research, 592 coastal scientists from 91 different countries completed a survey that ranked those 20 coastally oriented research questions. There was a clear overall ordering of aggregated coastal research priorities but scientists did exhibit heterogeneity regarding priorities. Some prioritized ecological issues while others focused more on issues such as coastal resource use or global environmental change. The differences in opinion were largely disciplinary-based, highlighting the importance of, and challenges in, encouraging scientific collaboration across disciplines to support effective coastal zone management. In addition to the ranking of existing questions, scientists submitted an additional 340 potential priority research questions, thus broadening the participatory nature of the original exercises. New questions regarding coastal processes, contaminants and pollution, and monitoring were prominent. This first synthesis across ‘big question’ exercises should provide valuable insights into the diversity of scientists’ opinions and help policy makers understand potentially conflicting science advice.     

关于海洋生态系统服务的经济属性研究

当前,海洋生态系统的服务价值日益受到科学界的广泛重视。从环境经济学的相关理论出发,深入探讨了海洋生态系统服务的经济属性,以期为海洋生态服务资本的保值与增殖提供理论依据。     

On the perceptions and conceptions of tourists with regard to global environmental changes and their consequences for coastal and marine environments: A case study of the northern São Paulo State coast,Brazil

A study on the public׳s perceptions and conceptions of global environmental changes (GECs) is relevant to guide future educational strategies and management actions. The present study aimed to: (1) evaluate coastal tourists׳ conceptions and perceptions of GECs; (2) correlate the conceptions presented by tourists about GECs and their self-declared knowledge; (3) evaluate how these tourists perceive their personal contribution to GECs; and (4) verify the frequency at which the media exposed the tourists to information about the influence of GECs on coastal and marine environments. A structured questionnaire was applied to 183 coastal tourists. There was a weak but significant positive correlation (r²=0.152, p<0.001) between self-declared knowledge and the actual conceptions of tourists about GECs and about the sea. Tourists underestimate their role in GECs, pointing out fewer individual actions that contributed to GECs in the questionnaire than expected. Many tourists declared they had never heard of some subjects related to GECs and coastal environments. This study revealed that coastal tourists are still not well informed about their role in GECs and also on their consequences to the society, thus emphasizing the need of more intensive and effective coastal and marine environmental education strategies.     

Murky waters: Media reporting of marine protected areas in South Australia

Given the public's limited knowledge of marine environments, informing the public about marine protection presents a unique challenge. Studies have shown a well-informed public is more likely to support environmental issues and that newspapers, in particular, are considered a credible media source. This research investigates media representations of current South Australian efforts to establish a marine protected area (MPA). Articles from five newspapers between 1999 and 2006 were examined for content in the following areas: local marine ecology, the policy process of MPA establishment and stakeholder views. The research found that newspapers concentrated their reporting on opposing stakeholders, opinions and were largely ineffective in conveying the significance of the local marine ecology, the economic benefits of the MPA, and the delayed establishment process. These information gaps have left the public poorly informed, and therefore, there is unlikely to be significant pressure to overcome the continued delays in the establishment process.     

“Living with our backs to the sea”: A critical analysis of marine and coastal governance in Guatemala

Guatemala's rich coastal and marine biodiversity provides essential ecosystem goods and services to local residents and the national economy through artisanal and commercial fisheries, aquaculture, port exports and, to a lesser extent, tourism. As in many other countries, national policies emphasise the significance of marine conservation and marine resources, primarily through implementing marine protected areas (MPAs). However, this assumes that governance, as reflected in legal, institutional and organizational frameworks, political capacity and human resources is sufficiently developed to ensure MPAs meet these goals. These issues are explored through presenting the first detailed analysis of coastal and marine governance in Guatemala. The research highlights a range of barriers to good governance which restrict the extent to which MPAs can function effectively. Recommendations are made which can capitalise upon the potential for locally managed marine areas as a means to facilitate the improved governance of coastal and marine resources in Guatemala.     

The Global Seafood Market Performance Index: A theoretical proposal and potential empirical applications

The objective of this paper is to create the Global Seafood Market Performance Index (GSMPI) in order to compare fisheries-related impacts of different countries across spatial and temporal scales. The article presents the first effort to investigate the trade-offs among marine ecosystems, seafood markets, poverty alleviation, food security and governance at worldwide level by creating the GSMPI. The GSMPI will provide relevant information on environmental, governance, socioeconomic, food security, corruption, seafood market, and corporate social responsibility issues for individual decision-makers and scientists, national governments, and stakeholders as well as international fishing and aquaculture industries.     

Stakeholder participation in ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management: A synthesis from European research projects

In this synthesis article, we claim that institutional innovation is required for ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management (EBAFM), and that such innovation can best be achieved by engaging in a delicate process of societal decision making. Current instances of participation in fisheries shed light on the societal processes required for such institutional innovation. We apply the IBEFish analytical frame to examine findings from recent European research on participation in fisheries management at different jurisdictional levels. We distil several issues of major concern for institutional innovation towards EBAFM. These concern information management, legitimacy, social dynamics and costs, as well as aspects of cross-scale and cross-sector integration of fisheries governance.     

海洋中单环芳烃(BTEX)的来源、分布与迁移及其生态环境效应

挥发性有机物排放是目前大气环境污染的一个焦点问题,以苯、甲苯、乙苯和邻/间/对二甲苯(BTEX)为主要代表的单环芳烃是其中一类重要的化合物。受人类生产活动的影响,BTEX在大气、土壤、地表及地下径流、海洋中普遍存在,其环境效应与生态毒害受到广泛关注。本文从大气-海水-沉积物-生物体入手,综述了海洋环境中BTEX的分布、来源及其迁移过程等研究进展。研究显示海洋环境中BTEX浓度变化范围较大,在分布上呈现出近海高、远洋低的趋势。海洋中BTEX的主要来源是人为来源,即海洋是陆源BTEX重要的汇,而海-气交换和生物降解则被认为是BTEX的主要去除途径。此外,本文阐释了海洋中BTEX的生态与大气环境效应。BTEX具有生物毒性,威胁海洋生物的生存与繁衍,破坏海洋生态系统平衡;而进入大气的BTEX能够影响大气的氧化能力,对于臭氧和二次有机气溶胶的形成具有重要贡献。尽管海洋BTEX研究取得了一定的认识,但目前海洋环境不同介质中BTEX来源解析、迁移转化过程及生物毒性机理亟需深入系统研究,为深入认识BTEX的生物地球化学过程与环境效应奠定基础。     

基于Bibexcel和Pajek的海洋生态环境保护领域科学计量与知识图谱分析

利用文献处理工具Bibexcel和网络分析工具Pajek对SCIE和SSCI文献数据库1990—2020年全球海洋生态环境保护文献数据进行统计与可视化分析,以期揭示该领域的科研产出情况、领域知识基础、研究热点分布及前瞻发展态势。研究结果表明:海洋生态环境保护领域文献产出近30年来持续增长;美国、澳大利亚、加拿大、法国等国家在该领域内有着较强的科研竞争力和学术影响力,其中美国处于研究合作核心地位,美国加利福尼亚大学、法国国家科研中心等机构为主要发文机构;海洋生态环境保护研究的热点方向主要为海洋生态环境修复与管控、气候变化、生态系统服务、海洋保护区等;该领域研究学科交融趋势明显,研究者应充分借鉴、吸收其他学科理念和方法,加强海洋生态环境与气候变化、人为活动及生态物种等因素的制衡与协同。     

A clash of values and approaches: A case study of marine protected area planning in Mozambique

Many developing countries are expanding their network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to meet ambitious marine conservation targets set globally and to develop tourism nationally. This study explores the human dimensions of MPA planning in Mozambique by engaging local resource users in a series of structured discussions about marine resource use, pressures on marine resources, ways to address such pressures, and the potential positive and negative impacts of MPAs on the management of marine resources and livelihoods, from a community perspective. Findings show that the groups and communities interviewed are at best ambivalent towards MPAs while at the same time supporting increased government regulation, including conventional fisheries management measures. The study suggests that without significant community involvement in the choice of marine conservation tools, the drive to establish MPAs to achieve biodiversity conservation and tourism development goals may be counterproductive, at least in terms of poverty alleviation and sustainable resource use. It argues that a wider range of marine conservation approaches and tools needs to be considered in addition to MPAs, taking into consideration local views and institutional capacities.     

The institutional foundations of economic performance of mussel production: The Spanish case of the Galician floating raft culture

This paper analyses the institutional foundations of the mussel production sector in Galicia, which is one of the leading producers in the world. After demonstrating the importance of the sector and presenting the theoretical framework and an historical introduction, the paper formulates an agenda of institutional analysis topics from a positive perspective. This agenda includes the problem of the common pool, the role of the State, the legal norms, the property rights system, the organisation of the sector, the rules and public policies and the status quo. This paper presents a case analysis dealing with the relationships between institutions and economic organisation, and furnishes evidence and relevant knowledge for the elaboration of comparative analysis in the economics of natural resources.     

The sustainable development goals: A case study

The Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs [44] are an ambitious step towards sustainable development, taking a much broader view of sustainability than ever achieved previously, yet practical challenges remain, including how to implement change. The aims of this research were to determine how an influential aquaculture company in Australia - Tassal, Tasmania's largest salmon aquaculture company - perceived the SDGs, and to ascertain the motivations and barriers for Tassal to work towards implementing the goals. Interviews were conducted with leaders, employees and external business partners. Tassal was not aware of the SDGs prior to this project, but were open to considering implementing them in their current sustainability practices. The survey responses were analysed using the Values-Rules-Knowledge (vrk) framework of decision making. Key findings were: 1) corporate and personal values were the key component driving Tassal's positive responses to the SDGs; 2) awareness of the SDGs resulted in Tassal recognising the potential gains from engaging with some of the seemingly less aquaculture-related goals (such as health and wellbeing). These findings demonstrate that businesses can fruitfully engage with the SDGs, even without government requirements or societal expectations, if they are prepared to broaden their interpretation of business sustainability and be reflective about their values. The vrk model is a potentially useful addition to current SDG and sustainability tools, such as those of the UN Global Compact, as a way to diagnose organisational barriers to adopting practices aligned with the SDGs. An emerging area of importance to social, economic and environmental sustainability – social license – was also identified as implicit in many, but not explicit in any of the SDGs.     

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.     

Marine spatial planning in Scotland. Levelling the playing field?

Marine spatial planning (MSP) is the leading tool for managing human activities at sea. It is designed to assist in decision making for marine resource access and use by considering the actions of those using the resources, interactions between these groups, and their cumulative impact on the natural environment. Being informed by ecosystem based management, MSP recognises that socio-natural systems are complex and that stakeholder and public input are key components of well-informed decision making. Therefore, MSP is rooted in the principles of good governance, including those of participation and transparency. This paper considers MSP processes in Scotland's inshore waters in the context of these good governance principles. The focus is on the institutional arrangements that allow stakeholders and the public to contribute to planning Scotland's seas and coasts. Whilst acknowledging the significant challenges faced by planners, and the work conducted so far, this research suggests that improvements could be made in how – and when – engagement takes place. It appears that at an early stage of introducing MSP in Scotland powerful stakeholders shaped the images, values and principles that guide it, and that including a broader range of actors early on might positively affect the legitimacy and acceptance of MSP in its later stages. The current institutional arrangements do not appear to allow for this. Ultimately, MSP in Scotland is in danger of institutionalising – and thus legitimising – existing power relations between marine resource users, and it does little to level the playing field.     

Volunteer health and emotional wellbeing in marine protected areas

Citizen science monitoring programs in the marine environment frequently focus on volunteer collected data precision for conservation and resource use of marine biota. Few studies have examined the social science aspects of volunteer engagement in marine monitoring programs in a quantifiable manner. This research focuses on emotional attitudes of Sea Search volunteers who monitor Marine National Parks and Marine Sanctuaries in Victoria, Australia. Volunteers responded that their participation in Sea Search activities made them feel good emotionally and mentally, with active learning, such as remembering names of marine biota, stimulating brain activity and memory. Volunteer monitoring efforts generated personal satisfaction through their contributions, feelings of enjoyment, and socialising with others. Sea Search volunteers gain a sense of want to protect and conserve the marine environment through positive behaviour change. By understanding and having a sense of meaning towards the marine environment, the volunteers felt a sense of pride in themselves. The concepts of volunteer connection to the natural environment and positive mental and emotional health are important for any citizen science monitoring program and should be used in the program’s aims and strategies as an effective means to attract volunteers. A functional framework which clearly communicates and assesses not only the scientific expectations from a citizen science program, but also the health and wellbeing connections to nature, need to be addressed in Government marine and coastal strategies.