For hundreds of years, human existence and economic development have rested on the treasures of the ocean. The blue/ocean economy has the potential to further enhance these benefits. The term “blue economy” has recently come into use to describe all economic activity connected to the ocean (Potgieter, 2018). These initiatives have the potential to boost coastal areas’ economies significantly, improve food security, and promote sustainable growth. However, the governance of the blue economy is a complex issue, with numerous stakeholders and interests at play, including governments, international organizations, enterprises, and local communities. In order to guarantee the long-term survival of the ocean’s resources and services, it is necessary to strike a balance between economic, social, and environmental sustainability. This essay seeks to explore how the uses of the ocean/blue economy are governed and examine the major challenges to good governance. Other than describing the general terms and challenges related to blue economy, the essay proposes some potential solutions to the issues ranging from biodiversity loss to climate change.
Before the discussion of the issues related to the use of oceans, it is crucial to define the terms that are central to this essay, blue/ocean economy and governance. As it is indicated by Jupiter, Mangubhai, and Fox (2018), blue and ocean economy are usually used interchangeably, but there is an important distinction between these two terms. While blue economy concerns the ocean-related activities such as fisheries, aquaculture, shipping, tourism, renewable energy, and biotechnology, ocean economy extends this list adding oil and gas exploration, marine transportation to the discussion (Jupiter, Mangubhai, and Fox, 2018). That is why, considering the minor differences in definitions, this essay uses blue and ocean economy interchangeably. On the other hand, the term governance has a well-defined feature. In the further discussion, ocean governance refers to the comprehensive management of policies, measures, and activities related to the world’s oceans. Its primary objectives are to safeguard the ocean environment, ensure sustainable utilization of coastal and marine resources, and preserve its biodiversity (Nagy and Nene, 2021).
Returning back to the question of governance, the governance of blue economy today involves a complex network of actors at the global, regional, and national levels. At the global level, through its Sustainable Development Goal 14, which aims to conserve and sustainably utilize the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development, the United Nations has taken a leadership role in advancing sustainable ocean governance (Roy, 2019). Also, the UN assists the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), which is in charge of organizing global research and collaboration on ocean science and policy (Roy, 2019; Bennett et al., 2019). Complementary, the governance of the blue/ocean economy equally relies on regional governance institutions. For instance, the European Union (EU), which aims to secure the sustainable use of the oceans and encourage the expansion of the blue economy, has created a comprehensive framework for ocean governance through its Integrated Maritime Policy. Therefore, good governance requires a coordinated effort between these levels to ensure sustainable use of the oceans and their resources.
However, one of the major obstacles in governing the blue economy is the lack of a comprehensive legal framework. According to Bennett et al. (2019), the governance of the blue economy must prioritize sustainability and equity. This involves taking a holistic and integrated approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of ocean ecosystems and their social and economic value. To put it differently, the challenge for good governance of the blue economy is the need to balance economic development with environmental protection. As Fusco et al. (2022) note, the blue economy often prioritizes economic growth over environmental conservation, resulting in unsustainable practices that harm ocean ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. In order to attain sustainability and equity, the authors urge the promotion of revolutionary change, which entails questioning the status quo and embracing novel viewpoints and behaviors.
The ocean is a fragile ecosystem that is vulnerable to pollution, overfishing, and other forms of environmental degradation. Lack of logical and context-sensitive approaches to blue economy governance is another problem. According to Voyer et al. (2021), creating ocean economy implies making key first moves like defining what the blue/ocean economy involves, putting in place governance structures that are considerate of local circumstances, and forming alliances amongst various sectors and stakeholders. Similarly, Roy (2019) emphasizes the significance of governance views for long-term growth in the Indian Ocean, highlighting the necessity of regional coordination and cooperation.
To address these issues and encourage the development of the blue economy in a sustainable and equitable manner, the researchers and practitioners suggest investing in infrastructure, technology, and education (Nagy and Nene, 2021; Voyer, 2021; Jupiter, Mangubhai, and Fox, 2018). In perspective, this will allow to attract more stakeholders that are directly affected by the exploitation of ocean resources, thus, providing better opportunities for better implementation of policies (Nagy and Nene, 2021). Another potential solution is the creation of international agreements and conventions that establish standards for sustainable and responsible ocean use, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Paris Agreement on climate change (Fusco et al., 2022; Roy, 2019). This multi-level cooperation on the global scale will contribute to the uniform transformation of harmful practices related to the oceans.
In conclusion, because of its potential for long-term economic growth, the ocean economy has gained global attention in recent years. Yet, the ocean economy’s governance is intricate and confronts a number of difficulties, such as problems with jurisdictional limits, resource management, and sustainability. There is still more work to be done in order to effectively regulate the blue economy, despite some achievements like the South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency Convention and the Convention for the Prohibition of Fishing with Large Driftnets in the South Pacific. It is feasible to encourage the sustainable and equitable development of the blue economy for the benefit of everyone by making investments in infrastructure, technology, and education as well as by putting collaborative and flexible governance structures into place.
Reference List
Bennett, N. J., Cisneros-Montemayor, A. M., Blythe, J., Silver, J. J., Singh, G., Andrews, N.,… & Sumaila, U. R. (2019) Towards a sustainable and equitable blue economy. Nature Sustainability, 2(11), pp. 991-993. Web.
Fusco, L. M., Knott, C., Cisneros-Montemayor, A. M., Singh, G. G., & Spalding, A. K. (2022) Blueing business as usual in the ocean: Blue economies, oil, and climate justice. Political Geography, 98, 102670. Web.
Jupiter, S.D., Mangubhai, S. & Fox, M. (2018) Towards defining the Blue Economy: Practical lessons from Pacific Ocean governance. Marine Policy, 87, pp. 359-366. Web.
Nagy, H., & Nene, S. (2021) Blue Gold: Advancing Blue Economy Governance in Africa. Sustainability, 13(13), 7153. Web.
Potgieter, T. (2018) Oceans economy, blue economy, and security: notes on the South African potential and developments. Journal of the Indian Ocean Region, 14(1), pp. 49-70. Web.
Roy, A. (2019). Blue economy in the Indian Ocean: Governance perspectives for sustainable development in the region. ORF Occasional Paper, 181. Web.
Satizábal, P., Dressler, W. H., Fabinyi, M., & Pido, M. D. (2020) Blue economy discourses and practices: reconfiguring ocean spaces in the Philippines. Maritime Studies, 19, pp. 207-221. Web.
Voyer, M., Quirk, G., Farmery, A. K., Kajlich, L., & Warner, R. (2021) Launching a Blue Economy: crucial first steps in designing a contextually sensitive and coherent approach. Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, 23(3), pp. 345-362. Web.