Marine Spatial PlanningWhat’s the Big Deal?

Jake RiceFisheries and Oceans

Canada

Conflicts over the use of space in the oceans and

coasts are not new

Nor are expectations that governments will do

something to resolve them

King Edward III – charge to a Royal Commission in 1376

The great and long iron of the wondyrchoun runs so heavily and hardly over the ground when fishing that it destroys the flowers of the land below the water, and also the spat of oysters, mussels and other fish upon which the great fish are accustomed to be fed and nourished. By which instrument in many places the fishermen take such quantity of small fish that they know not what to do with them; and they feed and fat their pigs with them, to the great damage of the Commons of the Realm and the destruction of the fisheries

Back in history Leaders had the power to unilaterally make

decisions about how ocean space and uses were

allocated

Nowadays, with Royal (or Presidential) Commissions more

costly and leaders a little less empowered

(Did Moses file an EIA and get permits?)

We have more inclusive governance and science

based approaches

Although the challenges and outcomes of marine spatial

planning are not new, the disciplineis, and is growing quickly

• First mention in scientific literature 1986• By 2006-2010 – 596 journal articles with

the phrase as keyword or in abstract(source – web of Science search engine)• In the technical literature MUCH more

So what is this popular thing called “MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING”

• Countless definitions (I won’t choose)• It is a PROCESS for planning

– Engagement of levels of government, experts, industries, ENGOs, civil society, Bands, ….

• It is a PRODUCT of the process– How multiple human uses (and values) will

coexist “harmoniously” with each other and with healthy marine and coastal ecosystem.

Conflicts resolved? Healthy OceanIs this too good to be true?

How do we get there?

Second [star] on the right and straight on

‘til morning?

The PROCESS and the PRODUCT must have three properties

• Credibility: ALL parties, but particularly experts and government, must believe best information was used in sound ways

• Legitimacy: ALL parties, but particularly those whose lives are affected by the products, must believe they were treated fairly during the process

• Relevance: ALL parties, but particularly decision-makers, have to believe that core issues and conflicts have to be identified and addressed (not hidden)

Many things have been tried to ensure CREDIBILITY

• Of the Process – Engagement of independent experts– Investment in data collation and analyses– Use of tested tools for formal evaluation of

scenarios, trade-off analysis etc.• Of the Product

– Peer review of interim and final products– Open access to background information and

data

Many things have been tried to ensure LEGITIMACY

• Of the Process– Inclusive of stakeholders in meaningful roles– Stakeholders defined to include industries, ENGOs,

communities, – Options to contribute at many steps, not just comment

• Of the Products– Accessible formats & access to background– Avoid technical AND bureaucratic jargon– Candid about trade-offs, desappointments &

compromises (real “win-win” outcomes rare)

Many things have been tried to ensure RELEVANCE

• Of the Process– Start with laws and regulatory frameworks– Start with clear mandate (and constraints)– Adaptive processes and responses

• Of the Products– Stay focused on mandate and charge– Ensure objectives are operational as well as

“high level” (platitudes)– Provision for periodic review and reevalution

MANY options for each –Are there best practices?

Review by Ecosystem Science & Management Working Group of NOAA Science Advisory Board (J. Collie, lead)

• Over 3 dozen candidate MSP initiatives• Found 17 with adequate documentation

for completing extensive templates matched to guidance in 4 key overviews

• Template results condensed to 42 yes/no questions in 7 categories:

Categories and examplesOBJECTIVES: Does the plan have operational

objectives?SCOPE:Does the plan include all sectors and usesAUTHORITY: Does the plan have a high-level

government mandate ?DATA: Were there clear criteria for data inclusion?PARTICIPANTS: Was there a formal process for

identifying stakeholders ?DECISION-SUPPORT TOOLS: Were trade-offs

analyzed quantitatively ?MONTORING/FOLLOW-UP: Definition of success

Examples from many scales and jurisdictions

Barents Sea, NorwayGerman EEZBaltic Sea Action PlanWadden Sea PlanNetherlandsBelgium North SeaShetland IslesCanada ESSIM and

Beaufort Sea

China Marine ZPGreat Barrier Reef St. Kitts and NevisMassachusetts OMPRhode Island OSAMPMaryland - ChesapeakeCalifornia Marine Life

Cons PHawaii ORMP

Question EX BAR GER BAL WS NL BEL SI CAN MA RI MD SKN CA HI CN GBR

A2 Y Y Y Y N Y N N Y N Y N Y N N N Y

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Main Messages

• THERE IS NO SINGLE RIGHT WAY TO DO MSP

• BUT, MANY THINGS DO MATTER:– Try to get to specific objectives– Be meaningfully inclusive– Have a clear mandate– Match expectations to time and funding– Design for feedback and adaptive learning

These are not new problems

Vague objectives

Difficult citizen engagement

Unclear Mandates

Difficult conflict resolution

Old Problems DO have solutions

• Our past two days presented MANY applications of Marine Spatial Planning to many problems in many parts of the world

• Spatial scales from 10’s of km2 to 1,000’s• Often costs in millions and years of effort• Focus on renewable offshore energy but

MANY additional uses. • EVERY CASE CONCLUDED THE

OUTCOMES WORTH THE EFFORT

For the rest of today

• You will hear a lot of experience on how various processes sought credibility, legitimacy & relevance

• The experiences won’t be the same:– Scale, jurisdiction, mandate, information

available, time, funding etc ….• Listen, ask questions, seek information

that helps with YOUR situation

A PLACE FOR EVERYTHINGAND

EVERYYTHING IN ITS PLACE