Challenges and conflicts in the designation of Taiwan’s underwater cultural heritage protected areas

Assessing the viability of Stakeholders’ Engagement in Marine Spatial Planning and its Implications for a Sustainable Blue Economy

“…This implies that the bene ts of MSP are not only localized but also scaled up to areas beyond coastal states' jurisdictions, which could be key in promoting global marine governance [20], [48]. In addition, several studies have reported that MSP processes can potentially enhance the spatial allocation of large societal bene ts across ocean activities that may be at risk [20], [23], which ensures the long-term maintenance of ecosystem service (ES) supplies and offers a starting point for assessing current trade-offs between various ecological, social, and economic goals while gauging their level of achievement [2], [20], [42].…”

“…The use of EBA could be key to marine conservation efforts, especially in areas with MPAs, since it enables the development and use of the 'Paper Park Indices' to identify potential 'paper parks' or ineffective MPAs [51], the evaluation of regional and global coral bleaching risks [15] and the mapping of critical benthic habitats, e.g., in the Canary Islands [20]. This perspective clearly yields results, e.g., in Taiwan, multipurpose marine protected areas (MPAs) that integrate underwater cultural heritage (UCH) and ecological heritage have been developed as sustainable marine resource management approaches [12], [23]; in Senegal, traditional knowledge and practices have been integrated into formal marine management structures [16]. This could further act as an economic avenue via the promotion of conservation nance initiatives, e.g., through tourism user fees, to aid in enhancing MPA management and outcomes [52].…”

“…A study in Japan clearly documented examples of key national stakeholders in its MSP ecosystem, e.g., the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; local authorities (such as the Nakatsu City O ce and the Oita Prefectural Government); educational research institutions (such as Oita University and Bunri University); businesses (such as TOTO and local industries and restaurants); the NPO Nakatsu Waterfront Conservation Association [92]; Advisory committees [23]; and researchers and surveyors, e.g., in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) [38]. At the regional level, key stakeholders may include regional commercial sheries [83]; regional management organizations; conservationists, e.g., in the tourism and wildlife sector [82]; and regional sheries management organizations (RFMOs), e.g., the South Paci c Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO) and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), among others [93]; regional bodies, e.g., the EU [22]; and the Caribbean [94].…”

“…Some of these stakeholders include donor organizations and international conservation NGOs, e.g., the WWF [63], [77], [79], [81] and the International Whaling Commission (IWC) [93]; global scienti c institutions, e.g., NOAA [90]; global media broadcasting companies [50]; and environmental journalists [51]. Others can include marine law practitioners and organizations to resolve ocean disputes, e.g., in the ABNJ [96], e.g., the UNCLOS and the UNESCO [12]; interest groups; and private companies in ocean carbon research and its applications [53], e.g., salmon interest groups, e.g., contractors; suppliers; the Tasmanian Salmon Growers Association (TSGA) [97]; global interagency teams; and committees [23], women's groups, youth groups and organizations [16].…”

“…This approach might risk throwing MSP in limbo and render MSP a top-down political tool rather than a sustainable strategy for attaining practical ocean governance and management targets related to marine ecosystem health, social equity, and inclusive economic development [20]- [22]. Given the increasing urgency of addressing marine space ecosystem shocks evidenced by a decline in marine resources and ocean health [23] and the increased proliferation of anthropogenic activities in marine space, e.g., in the Baltic Sea Region [24], translating high-level conceptualizations of MSP and crucial implementing actors to enhance the practical implementation and sustainable operation of MSP for sustainable marine futures need to be prioritized. This paper is concerned with the development of practical insights and pathways for ensuring the viability of stakeholder engagement in MSPs.…”