High-level political commitments
High-level political commitments in favour of sustainable oceans are
needed to balance the use of ocean resources and maintenance of
livelihoods with the conservation of fisheries habitat, protection of
the complexity of trophic levels and food webs. This balance is key to
addressing fairness in international relations amongst nation states.
Such political commitments start with states prioritizing oceans
governance within their own jurisdictions first and require engagement
with citizens and communities to enhance their understanding of
sustainable use of oceans. This can complement and extend current
policies and programs on a global scale but implementation by nations is
likely to be varied as norm-shifts are notoriously difficult to achieve.
Action to support a ”sustainable 2030” scenario will also require
support of other governance measures beyond governments, such as market
driven third party organisations, to respond to broader community and
societal concerns. Community trust in these hybrid forms of governance
and new approaches to government policy will need to increase if a
sustainable 2030 is to be achieved (Klijn, Edelenbos and Steijn 2010;
Siddiki, Kim and Leach 2017).
Pathways to ensure socio-economic benefits while conserving the marine
environment are supported by a number of international initiatives (e.g.
the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 14) but hinge on
action by national governments. Such pathways need to link high level
principles such as fairness and sustainability to guide decision-making
ensuring structural characteristics guide institutional arrangements
(Turner et al. 2014: 106). Focusing on the principle of fairness is
likely to lead to enhanced societal capacity, and enhanced effectiveness
of these institutions – all seen as core principles contributing to
‘good governance’ (Trouillet et al. 2011). It will also increase trust
between institutions and society. In contrast, failure to build
inclusive, principled, pathways are likely to lead to knowledge gaps,
compartmentalised approaches to decision-making, limited stakeholder
participation and challenges in integrating decisions at different
scales (Trouillet et al. 2011). The governance failures that inevitably
could arise if the path to fairness is not followed could result in
reduced community and individual social well-being and reinforce
governments’ constrained capacity to address change.