Marine Spatial Planning of the Western Indian Ocean Blue Economy

Abstract

Given the coastal and environmental opportunities and challenge facing the Western Indian Ocean (WIO), it makes sense to better integrate existing legal and management tools, and look for creative and novel solutions to existing problems (UNEP-Nairobi Convention & WIOMSA 2015). Economic activities that take place in the ocean space, receiving goods and services from ocean activities and ocean activity (to the ocean) has been recognised as a major contributor to national economies (Park et al. 2014). This contribution (formally recognised or not) forms part of the ocean economy of countries. There is increasing emphasis on the sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources in what has become known as the “blue” or sustainable ocean economy (hereafter the Blue Economy). The Blue Economy is a recent and developing paradigm, and the transition from an ocean economy (as a purely economic construct) to a Blue Economy (sustainable ocean economy) will be a complex, long-term undertaking. Even so, the ocean will become an economic force this century (Economist Intelligence Unit 2015). The Blue Economy is globally (UNEP et al. 2010; Hoegh-Guldberg & et al. 2015), continentally (UNECA 2016; ECORYS et al. 2012; Commission of the European Communities 2007; African Union 2012) and in the WIO (UNCTAD 2014; Mohanty et al. 2015; Kelleher 2015) promoted as the “right and responsible way” to secure and maintain benefit from coastal and ocean resources. There is also a growing awareness of the Blue Economy within Contracting Parties to the Nairobi Convention. The Government of Seychelles has adopted the Blue Economy Concept1, Mauritius is investing in the Ocean Economy2 and the Republic of South Africa has developed Operation Phakisa3 to unlock the economic potential of the ocean in a sustainable manner. Implementing the Blue Economy requires a “toolbox” with a number of existing, new and often better strategies (African Union 2012; Commission of the European Communities 2007; UNECA 2016). These include integrated maritime strategies and policies, integrated coastal management, marine protected areas etc. One of the highly-rated and promoted tools is known as ecosystembased marine spatial planning (Douvere & Ehler 2006; Douvere 2008; Domínguez-Tejo et al. 2016). It has been argued that the Blue Economy makes its strongest gains when leveraging existing institutional relationships to address strategic gaps that affect multiple sectors and players, and which catalyse visible benefits for them in the long term (UNEP 2015). Ecosystem-based management, marine spatial planning (MSP), integrated coastal management (ICM) and the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) are established elements in support of the Blue Economy. “Marine spatial planning (MSP) is a public process of analysing and allocating the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic, and social objectives that are usually specified through a political process” (Ehler & Douvere 2009). Ecosystem-based MSP is also characterised as “hard” sustainability - that natural capital cannot be substituted by man-made capital (Qiu & Jones 2013). MSP does not replace, or in any way detract from existing management paradigms such as ICM (or integrated coastal zone management- ICZM) or the value and importance of MPAs but rather relies on integration with and iterative improvement in existing and established tools. The African Blue Economy builds on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (UNECA 2016). Ultimately, the policy process for the implementation of ICM and MSP is so closely related that the only reason not to integrate the associated management tools is not due to technical failure, but rather a lack of recognition of the value of scaled and seamless coastal and ocean management. MSP is indicated not only for use within national boundaries, i.e. exclusive economic zones, but also for areas beyond national jurisdiction (Ardron et al. 2008). step-by-step approach to set up and apply MSP was published by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC; Ehler & Douvere 2009). The IOC guide provides a comprehensive overview of MSP. There is a growing number of global examples of MSP implementation (Smith 2015; Domínguez- Tejo et al. 2016; Collie et al. 2013; Dalton et al. 2010), and at least two countries in the WIO have formally embarked on policy processes that will result in the development of MSPs. In 2000, Australia was the only country with a government-approved MSP. In 2015, there were reportedly 13 countries with approved plans, in addition the trajectory of progress indicates that by 2020 at least 44, and by 2025 at least 59 countries will have approved plans (Ehler 2015 – presentation to the European Commission MSP Conference series No. 5). Given the overwhelming importance of securing national growth and development, it is virtually assured that Contracting Parties of the Nairobi Convention have already started a discussion/policy process on the Ocean/Blue Economy. This is supported by key regional policies (African Union 2012; UNECA 2016). One of the most successful tools for the implementation of the Blue Economy is the development of marine spatial planning as a national policy mechanism. The future use of MSP is promoted for national marine and maritime spatial planning, as well as for managing areas beyond national jurisdiction. The Contracting Parties to the Nairobi Convention are making progress on COP decision CP8/10 and CP8/13 and a number of states are in the conceptual stages of the policy cycles and it is proposed that directed support by the Secretariat would enhance and accelerate the process. It seem reasonable that a regional expression of “principles” regarding the policy process would improve the overall development cycle and may improve the consistency of policies and thereby reducing future transboundary alignment or actions relating to the use of ocean space. The assessment of progress towards policy implementation offers an indicator of the state of ocean governance and should be included in future State of the Coast reports. The development of regional capacity relating to the development of these policies is a priority that has also been supported by the various regional for a. Furthermore, the development of a regional approach and principles for the development of ocean management policies, the Blue Economy and MSP appears to be indicated. KEY RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Support an increasing role for the Contracting Parties to the Nairobi Convention in defining a Blue Economy for the Western Indian Ocean; 2. Agree that the Contracting Parties to the Nairobi Convention are champions for establishment of MSP as a tool for the implementation of the Blue Economy; 3. Through the Contracting Parties to the Nairobi Convention seek to embed ecosystem-based MSP within the larger context of national legislation and policies; 4. Recognise the role of MSP alongside, and in concert with that of ICM; 5. Support and ratify the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Protocol for the Nairobi Convention; and, 6. Improve regional and national integration of climate change adaptation, ICM and MSP.