Building a sustainable and equitable Blue Economy requires an effective governance mechanism in place to address the challenges of finding a balance between economic development, fair redistribution of benefits, and protection of marine ecosystems (Novaglio et al., 2022). A variety of governance approaches have been developed to ensure thoughtful planning and management in coastal and marine areas (Winther et al., 2020), among which marine spatial planning (MSP) has evolved to be the most commonly endorsed management regime (McAteer et al., 2022).
MSP is an integrated governance approach used to create geospatial plans that identify which areas of the ocean are suitable for different uses (e.g., fishing, aquaculture, offshore renewable energy, ports, and shipping). MSP is formally defined by MSPP Consortium (2006, 8) as:
“An integrated, policy-based approach to the regulation, management and protection of the marine environment, including the allocation of space that addresses the multiple, cumulative and potentially conflicting uses of the sea and thereby facilitates sustainable development.”
MSP has been adopted in many countries including the U.S. However, due to different legal and administrative frameworks and diverse marine environments and activities, MSP is carried out in a variety of ways (Jay, 2017). MSP holds much promise to support a sustainable and equitable Blue Economy because
- Many pioneering examples of MSP were motivated by environmental concerns and encouraged an ecosystem approach to MSP thinking (McAteer et al., 2022). MSP can reduce the negative impacts on the marine environment through spatial restrictions (e.g., restrictions of certain activities in certain areas) or restrictions of the total intensity of high-impact activities (e.g., oil and gas extraction) (Kirkfeldt and Santos, 2021).
MSP is based on continuously updated spatial biophysical data such as those on key resources, benthic habitats, and biological diversity, to name just a few, as well as information about human uses (e.g., shipping lanes, conservation areas, fishing zones, aquaculture sites, seabed cables, and pipelines) (Ogden, 2010). Up-to-date information about these variables makes it possible to assess environmental impacts and tackle environmental problems in a timely fashion (Ogden, 2010). Therefore, it is highly important to increase the efficiency of information-sharing across academia, government, industry, society, and international organizations. - MSP provides a framework for stakeholder interests to be represented and balanced (Jay, 2017). It is important that an inclusive participatory approach is adopted when implementing MSP so that the resources and livelihood of small-scale fishers and coastal indigenous communities are protected and historical access to areas of the sea is not undermined by the development activities of powerful economic actors (Bennett et al., 2015).
MSP in the United States is primarily implemented at the state and regional levels, as opposed to a national level. Each state has its own laws and regulations governing the use of its coastal and marine areas. However, there are also some federal agencies involved in MSP, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
One key example of MSP in the US is the development of coastal and marine spatial plans (CMSP) by states and regional planning bodies. These plans are used to identify priority areas for different types of activities, such as conservation, energy development, commercial and recreational fishing, and shipping. The process of developing these plans typically involves extensive stakeholder engagement, including input from local communities, industry representatives, and environmental organizations.
In addition to CMSP, there are also various federal programs and initiatives that support MSP in the US, such as the National Marine Sanctuaries Program and the National Coastal Zone Management Program. These programs provide funding, technical assistance, and other resources to states and local communities to help them manage and protect their marine resources.
Overall, MSP in the US is a decentralized and collaborative process that involves multiple stakeholders and levels of government. The goal is to balance competing uses and interests in the marine environment and promote sustainable and responsible use of marine resources.
References:
Bennett, NJ., Govan, H, Satterfield, T (2015). Ocean grabbing. Marine Policy, 57, 61-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2015.03.026
Jay, SA (2017). Marine Spatial Planning: assessing net benefits and improving effectiveness. https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3011693/ (accessed 06/27/2022).
Kirkfeldt T. S., Santos, C. F. (2021). A Review of Sustainability Concepts in Marine Spatial Planning and the Potential to Supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 . Frontiers in Marine Science, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.713980
McAteer, B., Fullbrook, L., Liu, W., et al. (2022). Marine Spatial Planning in Regional Ocean Areas: Trends and Lessons Learned, Ocean Yearbook Online, 36(1), 346-380. https://doi.org/10.1163/22116001-03601013
MSPP Consortium (2006) Marine Spatial Planning Pilot: Final Report. Prepared for the UK Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra). Available at http://www.abpmer.net/mspp/docs/finals/MSPFinal_report.pdf (accessed 06/27/2022).
Novaglio, C., Bax, N., Boschetti, F., Emad, et al. (2022). Deep aspirations: towards a sustainable offshore Blue Economy. Reviews in Fish Biology & Fisheries, 32(1), 209–230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-020-09628-6
Ogden JC. (2010). Marine spatial planning (MSP): a first step to ecosystem-based management (EBM) in the Wider Caribbean. Rev Biol Trop., 58 Suppl 3: 71-9. PMID: 21299097.
Like (2)