The Ocean 100: Transnational corporations in the ocean economy

Virdin, John; Vegh, Tibor; Jouffray, Jean-Baptiste; Blasiak, Robert; Mason, Sara; Österblom, Henrik; Vermeer, Daniel; Wachtmeister, Henrik; Werner, Nikos

doi:10.1126/sciadv.abc8041

Cited by 87 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…This influence can undermine the setting of effective conservation measures, particularly where those measures might have economic impacts for industries. Conversely, this also means that large transnational corporations and industries can have disproportionate power to stem declines in marine biodiversity and promote shifts towards more sustainable outcomes (Folke et al 2019 ; Virdin et al 2021 ). Many businesses and industries are increasingly becoming more active in addressing environmental concerns and conservation, often as a response to consumer demand (GSIA 2018 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Safeguarding marine life: conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems

Ward

Melbourne‐Thomas

Pecl

et al. 2022

Rev Fish Biol Fisheries

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Marine ecosystems and their associated biodiversity sustain life on Earth and hold intrinsic value. Critical marine ecosystem services include maintenance of global oxygen and carbon cycles, production of food and energy, and sustenance of human wellbeing. However marine ecosystems are swiftly being degraded due to the unsustainable use of marine environments and a rapidly changing climate. The fundamental challenge for the future is therefore to safeguard marine ecosystem biodiversity, function, and adaptive capacity whilst continuing to provide vital resources for the global population. Here, we use foresighting/hindcasting to consider two plausible futures towards 2030: a business-as-usual trajectory (i.e. continuation of current trends), and a more sustainable but technically achievable future in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We identify key drivers that differentiate these alternative futures and use these to develop an action pathway towards the desirable, more sustainable future. Key to achieving the more sustainable future will be establishing integrative (i.e. across jurisdictions and sectors), adaptive management that supports equitable and sustainable stewardship of marine environments. Conserving marine ecosystems will require recalibrating our social, financial, and industrial relationships with the marine environment. While a sustainable future requires long-term planning and commitment beyond 2030, immediate action is needed to avoid tipping points and avert trajectories of ecosystem decline. By acting now to optimise management and protection of marine ecosystems, building upon existing technologies, and conserving the remaining biodiversity, we can create the best opportunity for a sustainable future in 2030 and beyond.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Safeguarding marine life: conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems

Ward

Melbourne‐Thomas

Pecl

et al. 2022

Rev Fish Biol Fisheries

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“…As competing interests in the ocean continue to grow, understanding how politics shape ocean governance transformations will be critical to achieving outcomes that are sustainable and equitable (Bennett et al, 2019b;Virdin et al, 2021). The politics of ocean governance transformations takes many forms, from the politics of participation, to profound differences in political power and the (in)ability to control the narrative, to the resultant (re)distributions of marine resources (Campbell et al, 2009;Silver, 2014;Silver and Stoll, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Politics of Ocean Governance Transformations

Blythe¹,

Armitage²,

Bennett³

et al. 2021

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Recently, oceans have become the focus of substantial global attention and diverse appeals for “transformation.” Calls to transform ocean governance are motivated by various objectives, including the need to secure the rights of marginalized coastal communities, to boost ocean-based economic development, and to reverse global biodiversity loss. This paper examines the politics of ocean governance transformations through an analysis of three ongoing cases: the FAO’s voluntary guidelines for small-scale fisheries; debt-for-“blue”-nature swaps in the Seychelles; and the United Nations’ negotiations for a high seas’ treaty. We find that transformations are not inevitable or apolitical. Rather, changes are driven by an array of actors with different objectives and varying degrees of power. Objectives are articulated and negotiated through interactions that may reassemble rights, access, and control; however, there is also the potential that existing conditions become further entrenched rather than transformed at all. In particular, our analysis suggests that: (1) efforts to transform are situated in contested, historical landscapes that bias the trajectory of transformation, (2) power dynamics shape whose agendas and narratives drive transformational change, and (3) transformations create uneven distributions of costs and benefits that can facilitate or stall progress toward intended goals. As competing interests over ocean spaces continue to grow in the coming decades, understanding the processes through which ocean governance transformations can occur—and making the politics of transformative change more explicit—will be critical for realizing equitable ocean governance.

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“…As the concept of stewardship within the seafood industry matures, it may also provide a useful touchpoint for the suite of other ocean-based industries (Virdin et al, 2021). Perhaps more than any other major ocean-based industry, the seafood industry -and capture fisheries in particular -are reliant on ocean health and functioning ecosystems, with degradation of both constituting an existential threat.…”

Section: Toward Ocean Stewardshipmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolving Perspectives of Stewardship in the Seafood Industry

et al. 2021

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Humanity has never benefited more from the ocean as a source of food, livelihoods, and well-being, yet on a global scale this has been accompanied by trajectories of degradation and persistent inequity. Awareness of this has spurred policymakers to develop an expanding network of ocean governance instruments, catalyzed civil society pressure on the public and private sector, and motivated engagement by the general public as consumers and constituents. Among local communities, diverse examples of stewardship have rested on the foundation of care, knowledge and agency. But does an analog for stewardship exist in the context of globally active multinational corporations? Here, we consider the seafood industry and its efforts to navigate this new reality through private governance. We examine paradigmatic events in the history of the sustainable seafood movement, from seafood boycotts in the 1970s through to the emergence of certification measures, benchmarks, and diverse voluntary environmental programs. We note four dimensions of stewardship in which efforts by actors within the seafood industry have aligned with theoretical concepts of stewardship, which we describe as (1) moving beyond compliance, (2) taking a systems perspective, (3) living with uncertainty, and (4) understanding humans as embedded elements of the biosphere. In conclusion, we identify emerging stewardship challenges for the seafood industry and suggest the urgent need to embrace a broader notion of ocean stewardship that extends beyond seafood.

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The Ocean 100: Transnational corporations in the ocean economy

Cited by 87 publications

References 53 publications

Safeguarding marine life: conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems

Safeguarding marine life: conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems

The Politics of Ocean Governance Transformations

Evolving Perspectives of Stewardship in the Seafood Industry

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