Diverging strategies to planning an ecologically coherent network of MPAs in the North Sea: the roles of advocacy, evidence and pragmatism in the face of uncertainty
- PMID: 25358304
- DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-800214-8.00009-8
Diverging strategies to planning an ecologically coherent network of MPAs in the North Sea: the roles of advocacy, evidence and pragmatism in the face of uncertainty
Abstract
The North Sea is one of the most economically important seas in the world due to productive fisheries, extensive oil and gas fields, busy shipping routes, marine renewable energy development and recreational activity. Unsurprisingly, therefore, the use of marine protected areas (here defined widely to include fisheries closed areas and no-take marine reserves) in its management has generated considerable controversy-particularly with regards to the design of a regional ecologically coherent MPA network to meet international obligations. Drawing on three MPA processes currently occurring in the UK North Sea, we examine the real-world problems that make the designation of MPA networks challenging. The political problems include: disagreement among (and within) sectors over policy objectives and priorities, common access to fisheries resources at the EU level increasing the scale at which decisions have to be made and lack of an integrated strategy for implementing protected areas in the North Sea. The scientific problems include the patchy knowledge of benthic assemblages, limited knowledge of fishing gear-habitat interactions, and the increased risk of unforeseen externalities if human activity (predominantly fishing) is displaced from newly protected sites. Diverging stakeholder attitudes to these problems means that there is no consensus on what ecological coherence actually means. Ultimately, we caution against 'quick-fix' solutions that are based on advocacy and targets, as they create confusion and undermine trust in the planning process. We argue for a more pragmatic approach to marine protection that embraces the complexity of the social and political arena in which decisions are made.
Keywords: Consultation; Habitat; MCZ; Natura 2000; Network; North Sea; Planning.
Similar articles
-
Introduction to marine managed areas.Adv Mar Biol. 2014;69:1-13. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-800214-8.00001-3. Adv Mar Biol. 2014. PMID: 25358296
-
Marine protected area networks in California, USA.Adv Mar Biol. 2014;69:205-51. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-800214-8.00006-2. Adv Mar Biol. 2014. PMID: 25358301
-
Incorporation of spatial and economic analyses of human-use data in the design of marine protected areas.Conserv Biol. 2011 Jun;25(3):485-92. doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01626.x. Epub 2010 Dec 22. Conserv Biol. 2011. PMID: 21175829
-
The science and management of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea: natural history, present threats and future challenges.Mar Pollut Bull. 2008;57(1-5):8-21. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2008.04.030. Epub 2008 Jun 3. Mar Pollut Bull. 2008. PMID: 18533194 Review.
-
New perspectives on sea use management: initial findings from European experience with marine spatial planning.J Environ Manage. 2009 Jan;90(1):77-88. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2008.07.004. Epub 2008 Sep 10. J Environ Manage. 2009. PMID: 18786758 Review.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources