Marine protected area governance: Prospects for co-management in the European Mediterranean

Improving marine protected area governance through collaboration and co-production

“…Yet only 2.48% of MPAs have a management plan, 1.27% are effectively implementing these plans and only 0.03% of the Mediterranean is covered by fully-protected areas (Gomei et al, 2019). MPAs in the Mediterranean generally follow a centralised form of governance (yet there is some movement towards co-management) (Hogg et al, 2013), often enforcement is weak and they are characterised by a lack of financial and staff capacity (Scianna et al, 2018). In general, studies into the human dimension of MPAs in the Mediterranean are missing, and the social dimension is not regularly monitored by MPA managers as part of their plan or strategy (Hogg et al, 2017a;2017c;Scianna et al, 2018).…”

Controversies over stakeholder participation in marine protected area (MPA) management: A case study of the Cabo de Palos-Islas Hormigas MPA

“…Dispute over science could be addressed by arranging more meetings between fishers and scientists (Mackinson et al, 2011). The remaining four obstacles -fishers' poor status; lack of respect for managers; failure of cofradías; and personal conflicts -are largely cultural and can be overcome by increased empowerment and social capital, though this takes more time (Hogg et al, 2013).…”

“…In response to these complexities, there has been for many years considerable support in the literature and policy communities for stakeholder engagement in coastal fisheries management (Delaney et al, 2007;Mikalsen and Jentoft, 2001;Nenadovic and Epstein, 2016). Supporters claim that stakeholder participation (SP) in marine coastal management facilitates representation of diverse views and values; provides local knowledge and solutions tailored to specific contexts; prepares the ground for more effective implementation of policies for long-term management (Berghöfer et al, 2008;Pita et al, 2010); and legitimises marine resource governance (EU, 2013;Hogg et al, 2013;Nenadovic and Epstein, 2016). Indeed, advocates of SP assert that there is ample evidence to show that it is social factors and people's perceptions that are the primary determinants of the success or failure of marine protected areas (MPAs) (Blount and Pitchon, 2007;Christie, 2004;Kelleher and Recchia, 1998;Mascia, 2004).…”

Marine protected areas overall success evaluation (MOSE): A novel integrated framework for assessing management performance and social-ecological benefits of MPAs

“…Marine sustainability studies have been showing an increasing interest towards the SESs approach (e.g., Adger et al, 2005;Berkes, 2011;Leenhardt et al, 2015b;Winter et al, 2018) due to its suitability to integrate natural and social sciences while addressing management issues involving ecosystems, human economy, and governance (Charles, 2012). The growing research on MPAs as sustainability tools has increasingly expanded from the sole ecological domain to also include social, health, cultural, and governance spheres (Bennet et al, 2017;Gill et al, 2017;Hogg et al, 2013;Mascia, 2004). MPAs are indeed expected to deliver social and economic benefits in addition to conserving biodiversity (Leenhardt et al, 2015a, Vihervaara et al, 2019UNEP-WCMC, IUCN and NGS, 2018).…”