Evolutionary Character of International and European Law: Linking Sustainability with Environmental Responsibility and Marine Ecosystem Restoration under the European Union’s Ocean Governance Agenda

The Benguela Current Convention (BCC) has been operational for a decade and has emerged from the precursor natural and fisheries science large marine ecosystem programs. This regional ocean governance institution emerged indigenously as an intergovernmental working arrangement across the Republics of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa. The Convention has been described as a Centralized Authority mode of regional ocean governance. This paper explores this description with reference to the ecosystem-based approach to marine management. The study is focused on the level of working arrangements within the Convention and its Commission across the national and regional scales. It finds that the BCC does meet the theoretical criteria of a polycentric governance mechanism at the resolution of its operations. Polycentric ocean governance mechanisms are valued in regional ocean governance as they potentially offer greater impact through higher levels of coordination, codesign, and integration. Polycentric governance systems incorporate multiple centers of authority that operate at different scales. Existing instances and further opportunities for polycentric governance mechanisms within the working arrangements of the Convention are identified for the Southeast Atlantic.

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MERCES: Marine Ecosystem Restoration in Changing European Seas (H2020 funded project)

10.7287/peerj.preprints.26830 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Roberto Danovaro ◽

Cristina Gambi

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Marine Ecosystem ◽

Cost Benefit ◽

Ecosystem Restoration ◽

Marine Ecology ◽

Marine Habitats ◽

Job Opportunities ◽

Funded Project ◽

Restoration Measures ◽

European Seas

MERCES “Marine Ecosystem Restoration in Changing European Seas” (GA 689518) is the first H2020 European project focused on the ecological restoration of degraded marine habitats and the recovering of their biodiversity and ecosystem services. Specific aims include a) improving existing, and developing new, restoration actions of degraded marine habitats; b) increasing the adaptation of EU degraded marine habitats to global change; c) enhancing marine ecosystem resilience and services; d) conducting cost-benefit analyses for marine restoration measures; e) creating new industrial targets and job opportunities. To achieve these objectives MERCES created a multi-disciplinary consortium (28 Partners from 16 Countries) with skills in marine ecology, restoration, policy, socio-economics, knowledge transfer, dissemination and communication.

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