Marine And Coastal Resource Management

In this new and highly original textbook for a range of interdisciplinary courses and degree programmes focusing on marine and coastal resource management, readers are offered an introduction to the subject matter, a broad perspective and understanding, case study applications, and a reference source. Each chapter is written by an international authority and expert in the respective field, providing perspectives from physical and human geography, marine biology and fisheries, planning and surveying, law, technology, environmental change, engineering, and tourism. In addition to an overview of the theory and practice of its subject area, many chapters include detailed case studies to illustrate the applications, including relationships to decision-making requirements at local, regional, and national levels. Each chapter also includes a list of references for further reading, with a selection of key journal papers and URLs. Overall, this volume provides a key textbook for undergraduate and postgraduate courses and for the coastal or marine practitioner, as well as a long-term reference for students.

Issues of sustainability and increased competition over coastal resources are changing practices of resource management. Societal concerns about environmental degradation and loss of coastal resources have steadily increased, while other issues like food security, biodiversity, and climate change, have emerged. A full set of social, ecological and economic objectives to address these issues are recognized, but there is no agreement on how to implement them. This interdisciplinary and "big picture book" – through a series of vivid case studies from environments throughout the world – suggests how to achieve these new resource management principles in practical, accessible ways.

Many marine and coastal resources can be classed common pool resources and are thus challenging to manage, especially where central government capacity is limited. As a result, marine and coastal resource management often 1) depends on stakeholders' cooperation with management efforts, and 2) involves systems of complex governance, in which multiple actors including resource users, local communities, local nonprofits, government across levels, and international non-profits and funders work together to undertake management. International non-governmental conservation organizations (INGOs) are prevalent in such settings, working across levels to increase the sustainability and conservation value of resource management, often with the explicit intent of increasing stakeholder buy-in - that is, attitudes towards, support for, willingness to engage in, and willingness to comply with management. Yet little research to date has examined how INGO involvement, and in particular INGO direct engagement with users and other stakeholders, influences buy-in. The three papers presented in this dissertation seek to address this gap by presenting research derived from a novel synthesis of common pool resource theory, theories of participation, and theories of NGOs. Paper 1 presents results of an experimental test of an INGO-supported decision-support tool, FishPath, which solicits stakeholder knowledge to better specify management options in data- and capacity-limited fisheries. Thirty-two Australian fishery stakeholders participated in the test. FishPath use significantly increased both the perceived ease and perceived effectiveness of management; stakeholders' support for management trended upwards but the increase was not significant. Paper 2 presents content and process-tracing analysis of document (n=4) and original interview data (n=46) to examine how INGOs influence community-level incentives for the adoption and implementation of community-based marine and coastal resource management (CBM) in Fiji. INGO activities increase the perceived benefits of both adoption and implementation. However, implementation is experienced as much more costly by community members; INGO activities are not always sufficient to incentivize full implementation of CBM. Paper 3 applies process-tracing and content analysis to the same documents and original interviews analyzed in Paper 2, exploring how INGOs influence resource user participation in Fijian CBM decision making. Despite rhetorical support for increased participation, and the creation of new advisory and implementation structures, INGOs do not broaden user participation in decision-making, which remains in the hands of traditional elite decision-makers who may or may not be responsive to community needs. Furthermore, where community members perceive that they have been excluded from decision-making and their needs left unmet, implementation of CBM appears more likely to fail. Together, the three papers highlight ways in which INGOs successfully increase stakeholder buy-in to marine and coastal resource management, as well as gaps in current INGO efforts. Together, these papers demonstrate the benefits of focused inquiry into the activities of INGOs and other actors engaged in complex governance of marine and coastal resource management, how those activities are experienced by resource users, and how resource users' experiences in turn influence management outputs and outcomes.

This book explores the types of conflicts that occur over marine and coastal resources, the underlying causes, and attempts to prevent them. Despite the emergence of various marine and coastal governance approaches to address the effects of human activities within the marine environment, conflict continues. In this book, the author outlines the reasons conflicts can, and do, arise in the marine and coastal environment. Drawing on case studies from both the northern and southern hemispheres, the book takes a broad view of how we interact with our environment, of how and why conflict is perpetuated as a political and cultural phenomenon, and how this varies or remains constant across space and place. The case studies explore not only the underlying perceptions and needs of those involved in marine and coastal conflict and the types of conflicts that arise in oceanic and coastal areas, but also the underpinning reasons for these conflicts. Marine and coastal resource conflicts have the potential to derail conservation efforts and blue growth policies, as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Thus, it is imperative we understand the drivers and exacerbating factors of marine and coastal conflict. Arguing that there is an urgent need for renewed thinking and focus on conflict prevention, the author develops a theory of marine and coastal conflict which allows us to understand those factors and the means to help prevent such conflicts arising in the first place. This book will be of interest to students and researchers of coastal and marine science and environmental management as well as those working in the field of marine resource management, including coastal zone managers and fisheries managers.

America's ocean and coastal regionsâ€"which provide wildlife habitat, commercial fish stocks, mineral reserves, travelways, recreation, and moreâ€"are under increasing pressure as more and more people exploit marine resources, leaving environmental damage in their wake. Striking a Balance responds to the urgency for sound decision-making in the management of marine resources. An expert committee proposes principles, goals, and a framework for marine area governance, including new governance structures at the federal and regional levels and improvements for existing governing and regulatory systems. Recommendations include using toolsâ€"such as zoning and liabilityâ€"for resolving conflicts between users, controlling access to marine resources, and enforcing regulations. The book describes the wide-ranging nature and value of marine resources, evaluates their current management, and explores three in-depth case studies. It also touches on the implications of newer, more flexible, less hierarchical approaches to organizational behavior. Striking a Balance will be of interest to everyone concerned about marine resource management, especially federal and state marine managers and regulators, marine scientists and policy analysts, companies and organizations with interests in marine and coastal resources, and advocacy groups.

America's ocean and coastal regions--which provide wildlife habitat, commercial fish stocks, mineral reserves, travelways, recreation, and more--are under increasing pressure as more and more people exploit marine resources, leaving environmental damage in their wake. Striking a Balance responds to the urgency for sound decisionmaking in the management of marine resources. An expert committee proposes principles, goals, and a framework for marine area governance, including new governance structures at the federal and regional levels and improvements for existing governing and regulatory systems. Recommendations include using tools--such as zoning and liability--for resolving conflicts between users, controlling access to marine resources, and enforcing regulations. The book describes the wide-ranging nature and value of marine resources, evaluates their current management, and explores three in-depth case studies. It also touches on the implications of newer, more flexible, less hierarchical approaches to organizational behavior. Striking a Balance will be of interest to everyone concerned about marine resource management, especially federal and state marine managers and regulators, marine scientists and policy analysts, companies and organizations with interests in marine and coastal resources, and advocacy groups.