Unravelling Persistent Problems to Transformative Marine Governance

Abstract

Coasts are dynamic socio-ecological systems, subject to increasing anthropogenic pressures that present complex challenges for the design of effective coastal and marine governance systems. There are many contributing factors to the unsustainability of the marine environment, including weak governance arrangements. Typically, the management of coastal and marine ecosystems is undertaken in a fragmented way, with responsibilities dispersed across a number of bodies. 'Integrated management' is often proposed in normative approaches to marine management as a mechanism for securing more sustainable outcomes. The implementation of integrated management, however, tends to occur within existing governance structures and fails to address deep-rooted issues such as path dependency, institutional inertia, and policy layering. These barriers to transformative marine governance are re-framed in this paper as 'persistent problems' which inhibit more holistic approaches to achieve effective integrated management. Using insights from two Irish case studies to show how the implementation of innovative local initiatives for sustainable coastal and marine management are constrained by persistent institutional problems, it is concluded that an alternative management paradigm is required to understand and address the complexities involved in the design and delivery of an integrated management regime.

The post-political nature of marine spatial planning and modalities for its re-politicisation

“…a rationality that is limited by time, knowledge and cognitive boundaries); and b) focuses on selecting actions that are good enough to suit decision-makers' purposes (satisficing) but that are not necessarily optimal. For example, in the case of coastal management in Ireland, pathdependent policy layering within successive programmes designed to address fragmented management has failed to radically transform governance (Kelly, Ellis, & Flannery, 2019).…”

The whence and whither of marine spatial planning: revisiting the social reconstruction of the marine environment in the UK

“…The marine problem is truly reflective of Rittle and Webber's (1973) 'wicked issue' and more recently to what Kelly et al (2019) refer to as 'persistent problems'. Peel and Lloyd (2004) could not have predicted the evolution of MSP that has occurred over the last 15 years.…”

Lessons from a Marine Spatial Planning data management process for Ireland

“…The EU Maritime Spatial Planning Directive (European Commission 2014) has stipulated that member States are 'responsible and competent' in their approach to developing national plans. However, lacking specific guidance from the EC on how MSP systems should be developed and implemented, the MSP Directive has resulted in numerous interpretations that have led to new policies, organisations, legislation, and requirements for new multi-disciplinary resources across member states that are not necessarily consistent (Kelly, Ellis, and Flannery 2019).…”