Integrated Oceans Management

Abstract

Integrated oceans management (IOM) is an attempt to respond to the deficiencies of a zonal/sectoral, fragmented approach to oceans governance and has been widely endorsed at national, regional, and global levels. This chapter explores IOM as a concept and assesses the extent to which it has been implemented at all levels of oceans governance. It identifies the key components of IOM, their relationship to one-another, and their role in supporting an integrated approach to oceans management. It assesses the applicability of IOM — both actual and potential — to areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). The chapter concludes with observations regarding the future development of IOM and its role in driving forward a new frontier in marine environmental protection and oceans governance more generally.

The Ecosystem Approach in International Marine Environmental Law and Governance

“…84 Integrated management, with a long-term time frame (CBD 2004), is considered to be essential in order to ensure efficient coordination between organizations and compatibility between policies and activities. 85 However, its implementation has been hampered by the existing fragmented and decentralised institutional architecture of global ocean governance (Harrison 2017), as well as political and financial challenges (Scott 2015). Its meaning also remains obscure in 81 The EBSA process, established under the CBD, has potential to play a useful role in facilitating cooperation in relation to the establishment of MPAs.…”

“…17.5(a). For a deeper discussion on integrated oceans management, see generally K Scott (2015) and J Harrison (2017), Chapter 10. international law (Scott 2015;Tanaka 2004). Parties to the CBD have acknowledged that the full application of the ecosystem approach remains a 'formidable task', especially on a larger scale.…”

“…In contrast to the CAMLR, the ecosystem approach manifests itself in a more implicit manner in UNCLOS (Platjouw 2016). While it does recognize that "the problems of ocean space are closely interrelated and need to be considered as a whole", 33 and contains some elements of integrated decision making, 34 UNCLOS contains few explicit references to the concept of the ecosystem, 35 and promotes a zonal and sectoral approach to ocean governance (Scott 2015). A critical turning point was the adoption of Agenda 21 at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) 36 which, via its explicit promotion of a holistic approach to oceans management, became a catalyst for 30 Which it describes as 'the complex of relationships of Antarctic marine living resources with each other and with their physical environment' in Article I (3) CAMLR.…”

Realizing the Social Dimension of EU Coastal Water Management

“…They also represent an intended shift away from the traditionally strongly sector-based approach to marine environmental protection towards a more holistic and area-based management aimed to ensure that human interaction with ecosystems stays within ecologically safe boundaries [3]. In this, they can be seen as both responding to calls for integrated marine and ocean management [4][5][6], and as reflective of the emergence of the ecosystem approach as a core concept in environmental management in general and marine management in particular [7]. While the MSFD is explicitly intended to implement an ecosystem approach (directive 2008/56/EC, art 1), the WFD is generally seen as being based on similar principles [8].…”

The elusive search for sustainable high seas fisheries

“…International fisheries are obviously addressed in the law of the sea and environmental law, 99 but relevant provisions and concepts for their conservation and exploitation can also be found in, e.g., trade law 100 or the specific regime for climate change law. 101 A similar reasoning applies to organizations and bodies directly covering fisheries or indirectly impacting them.…”