Annex A. Country examples of management tools and governance instruments for policy coherence in the Ocean economy
Baltic Region- HELCOM’s policy platform uses MSP to allow for an ecosystem-based approach and a planning tool, similar to Symphony, for a holistic assessment of human activities and its cumulative impact in the Baltic Sea region. The process is to avoid high cumulative environmental impacts in sensitive areas and compare different planning alternatives, to communicate with stakeholders, and to evaluate MSPs (BSAP, n.d.[1]). This intergovernmental policy platform is an example of an effort to connect sectoral policy silos for a sustainable management of the sea basin. HELCOM BSAP in line with PCSD framework, shows vision and leadership on the highest level and policy interactions through regional stakeholder consultation processes. The North Sea and Baltic Sea joint project “Emerging Ecosystem-based Maritime Spatial planning Topics in the North and Baltic Sea Region” (eMSP NBSR) will enhance learning from the implementation of these processes.
MPA in Zanzibar is one example, where multi-stakeholder dialogue proved decisive in balancing trade-offs between poverty alleviation and conservation efforts. The non-profit organisation (CHIOP) was responsible for establishing and managing the Chumbe Island MPA (OECD, 2020[2])and developed participative partnerships with neighbouring communities to ensure that local community members were actively engaged in the project’s design, development and establishment. Together, they put forward a holistic management approach focused on the integration of ecotourism, conservation and education in alignment with SDG targets (8.9, 14.7, 14.5, 14.4, 14.2 and 4.7). The establishment of the MPA provided income diversification opportunities for local communities who are now actively involved as rangers and staff members of the lodge and educators. Fish stocks also recovered and resulted in spillover to nearby fishing grounds, to the benefit of local fishermen. A key learning is that early evaluation of trade-offs through stakeholder dialogue helped maximise benefit streaming to local stakeholders alongside protecting natural capital.
The Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Areas Management Network (WIOMPAN) has been established among 10 countries in Western Indian Ocean to improve Marine Protected Areas (MPA)’s performance through peer-to-peer knowledge sharing (Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Area Management Network, 2022[3]).
Indonesia has put in place comprehensive policy measures to address plastic pollution, including one Presidential Decree focusing solely on marine debris: the National Plan of Action on Marine Plastic debris 2017-2025 (OECD, 2021[4]). While different actions can be taken to avoid land and ocean-based plastic leakages, ultimately source prevention proves to be one of the most efficient approaches. Taxes on plastic materials, which are increasingly adopted to shift consumer demand towards more sustainable alternatives, have played an important role in reducing marine debris in Indonesia. In 2016, 23 Indonesian cities trialled a tax of ~USD 0.01 per bag for three months. In 2020, the House of Representatives approved an excise tax equivalent to a fee of ~USD 0.02 per bag. At the city scale, Jakarta, Bali, Bogor City, Banjarmasin and Denpasar have taken the most ambitious measures, enacting various plastic bag bans. In Bagor City, this resulted in a reduction of 41 tons per month in the circulation of plastic bags while in Denpasar circulation was reduced by 80%.
Belize established a Protected Area Conservation Trust (PACT) in 1996 which funded itself through conservation fee on visitors to Belize upon departure and a 20% commission from cruise ship passengers. By awarding grants, the PACT has invested over BZ$ 33 million in protected areas management (OECD, 2017[5]).
Tanzania’s Marine Legacy Fund makes use of the beneficiary pays approach to conserve marine and coastal ecosystems. Through a payment for ecosystems (PES) program, Tanzania derives revenues from commercial fishing licenses, marine ecotourism revenue sharing, and oil and gas taxation which are used to pay coastal communities for conservation (OECD, 2017[5]).
In Korea, the ocean research institutes that support Ocean policy making, such as the Korean Maritime Institute (KMI) advise the government on a broad span of policy areas from fisheries, environmental conservation and technologies. This science-based approach is also highlighted by the Ocean Panel as one key action towards sustainable ocean economies (Stuchtey et al., 2020[6]) .
In Antigua and Barbuda, the Ministry of Social Transformation and the Blue Economy was officially established in 2020 in recognition of the increased importance of the marine space to the nation’s future prosperity. The ministry assumes the role of combating poverty, enhancing equality and improving living standards in the context of the blue economy transition. Within that ministry, The Blue Economy Department was established to co-ordinate and develop co-operation on blue economy actions across government, departments and communities (Commonwealth Marine Economies Programme, 2021[7]).
In 2006, the Norwegian government developed an integrated marine management plan for the conservation and sustainable use of marine ecosystems in the Barents Sea based on extensive environmental assessments covering the Impact of fisheries, shipping, hydrocarbon extraction and external pressures on the environment, resources and local communities. The plan was developed in response to growing pressures relating to the potential expansion of oil and gas activities into areas used by fisheries and living marine resources. The plan includes ex-post and ex-ante reports on marine activities, and progress monitoring through environmental quality objectives. The foundations of the plan were laid out following a precautionary approach, implying a need for revision as new knowledge becomes available (OECD, 2020[8]).
The Source-to-Sea (S2S) approach maps flows that connect land-based activities with the coast and ocean (i.e. flows of water, plastic pollution, sediment, materials, biota, ecosystem services, etc). this approach has been used to address flows of pollutants in the Bay of Bengal, where marine litter and several flows of pollution, e.g. untreated sewage (pathogens) and oil among others, impact one of the largest marine ecosystems. The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna catchment is of the top ten most plastic polluted area in the world
Established in 2005, New Zealand’s Fiordland Marine Management Act results from a collaborative process which proposed a package of measures for the integrated management of Fiordland’s marine resources. This stakeholder led initiative emerged following growing concerns from local fishermen regarding fish stock depletion. A unique management regime was established following their proposal to the government, whereby the Fiordland Marine Guardians were handed the responsibility advising management agencies on all aspects of the marine environment. They also bore the responsibility of law enforcement and compliance within the Fiordland Marine Area. This novel strategy to managing a marine protected area gained recognition due to its successful collaborative approach (Ministry for the Environment, 2021).
Civil society is also at the heart of several initiatives that combine managing ocean resources, tourism with labour market needs. For instance the U.S. East Coast, The GreenWave project brings together local fishermen and coast communities to work on a regenerative ocean farm combining seaweed and shellfish production. Their ocean farming hub is a space for co-creation and learning, with 2,500 users to date working on new regenerative technologies (Stuchtey et al., 2020[9])
In New Zealand’s Bay of plenty, a regenerative destination management plan was put in place in 2018 with the help of local stakeholders, including the Māori community. The initiative was built on the principles of hospitality, guardianship and unification in addition to education, co-operation and relationship management. As a result of this approach, the Bay of Plenty is now one of the world’s top 100 ‘green destinations’ (Schuhmann et al., 2020[10])
Established in 1999, the local marine advisory committees are voluntary community-based groups that hold an advisory role to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. These committees provide a community forum for interested stakeholders from the government and community to discuss issues around marine resources. In this context, stakeholder engagement has proven useful in improving understanding of the issues at stake thus improving public support and commitment (OECD, 2020[11]).
References
[1] BSAP, H. (n.d.), HELCOM Policy platform, https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Baltic-Sea-Action-Plan-2021-update.pdf.
[7] Commonwealth Marine Economies Programme (2021), Maritime Economy Plan Antigua and Barbuda, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1012231/Antigua_and_Barbuda_Maritime_Economic_Plan.pdf.
[4] OECD (2021), Sustainable Ocean Economy Country Diagnostic of Indonesia, https://one.oecd.org/document/DCD(2021)5/En/pdf.
[2] OECD (2020), Chumbe ISland Coral Park, Zanzibar, https://www.oecd.org/stories/ocean/webbooks/dynamic/ocean-policies/d0ddfc01/pdf/chumbe-island-coral-park-zanzibar.pdf.
[11] OECD (2020), Local marine advisory committees and the great barrier reef marine park authority, https://www.oecd.org/stories/ocean/webbooks/dynamic/ocean-policies/5857b8bd/pdf/local-marine-advisory-committees-and-the-great-barrier-reef-marine-park-authority.pdf.
[8] OECD (2020), Marine spacial planning in Norway, https://www.oecd.org/stories/ocean/webbooks/dynamic/ocean-policies/1531006e/pdf/marine-spatial-planning-in-norway.pdf.
[5] OECD (2017), Marine Protected Areas: Economics, Management and Effective Policy Mixes, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264276208-en.
[10] Schuhmann, P. et al. (2020), Opportunities for transforming coastal and marine tourism, https://oceanpanel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Sustainable-Tourism-Full-Report.pdf.
[6] Stuchtey, M. et al. (2020), Ocean Solutions That Benefit People, Nature and the Economy, World Resource Institute.
[9] Stuchtey, M. et al. (2020), Ocean solutions that benefit people, nature and the economy., High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy.
[3] Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Area Management Network (2022), The Role of WIOMPAN, https://wiomsa.org/wiompan/.