A Study on Transboundary Marine Governance of Floating Marine Debris—Taking Kinmen–Xiamen Waters between China and Taiwan as an Example

Mainland China’s economy has been developing rapidly. Unfortunately, it has led to an increase in municipal and industrial waste, including in Xiamen, in which is has greatly increased. Kinmen is located outside the estuary of the Jiulong River in Fujian, Mainland China, opposite to Xiamen Bay. Whenever there is heavy rainfall, the waste that flows along the Jiulong River is incredible. Kinmen unavoidably has to bear the invasion of floating marine debris due to the effect of ocean currents, tides and monsoons. It does not only pollute the Kinmen sea area, but it also affects the scenery of the beaches in Kinmen. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the data of Kinmen and Xiamen governments regarding the cleaning of floating marine debris, and the differences in distribution areas according to the monsoon, ocean current and tides. In-depth interviews, field investigation, and collection of expert opinions were applied in order to determine the research implication. The results of this study provide information on the marine issues encountered in the governance of the countries surrounding the sea. The study suggests that the transboundary marine governance mechanism should be established in order to effectively solve the problem of floating marine debris in Kinmen–Xiamen Waters. For the welfare of the people, it is expected that the governments of Mainland China and Taiwan will uphold the principle of “pragmatism and reciprocity” by working together to maintain the marine environment in Kinmen–Xiamen waters.

Grounding Ocean Ethics While Sharing Knowledge and Promoting Environmental Responsibility: Empowering Young Ambassadors as Agents of Change

Actions addressing youths and marine science for “ambassadorship” are increasingly implemented via dedicated programs at the European and global level within the relevant policy frameworks, as a way for fostering the exchange of knowledge and cross-fertilizing practices among the Countries and basins. These programs are conceived to address the future generations of scientists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and citizens, and to promote the awareness and shared responsibility on the sustainable use of marine resources in an authentic and credible way, through the empowerment of young researchers and professionals, communicators, or activists. Thus, such ambassadors are well-positioned to act as agents of change, improving the dimension of Ocean Ethics related to inclusive governance, especially necessary for an equal, just, and sustainable management of multi-actor and transboundary socio-environmental contexts. Pivoting on the Young Ambassadors' Program developed in the framework of the BlueMed Research and Innovation (R&I) Initiative for blue jobs and growth in the Mediterranean area as case practice, the article aimed to propose some reflections about the long-term perspective of such experiences. Outlining an emerging physiognomy of the “One Ocean Ambassadors,” it discusses their potential to build the next generation of responsible scientists, citizens, and decision-makers and to embed ethical principles in research-based marine governance. In addition, it addresses process-related elements, such as balancing advocacy and ethics and reflecting on the role of science communication. To further consolidate this practice, this article finally seeks to incorporate the intercultural aspects to connect the local to the global dimension toward a sustainable and value-based ocean governance.

The rhetorical blue economy in Bangladesh: Analyzing the inborn regulatory bottlenecks

This study's overreaching objective was to assess the suitability and applicability of the existing legal and institutional framework for managing the coastal and marine resources in Bangladesh. Together with, the fundamental challenges faced by the artisanal and small-scale fishers in Bangladesh were critically scrutinized. The study revealed that the regulatory framework in Bangladesh is characterized by jurisdictional overlapping followed by the conflict of interests among the public institutes, which originated from the aged and fragmented laws and ambiguous business allocation; consequently, the artisanal and small-scale fishers suffer a lot. The local government and community's right to resource management remains fuzzy. Bangladesh can enact new sectoral laws followed by business reallocation for the line ministries. The study will help policymakers identify the bottlenecks rooted in the existing regulatory and institutional framework.Keywords: Coastal and Marine Resource; Jurisdictional Overlapping; Conflict of Interests; Marine Governance; Artisanal Fishers

Transnational Municipal Networks as a Mechanism for Marine Governance Toward Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation: Between Potential and Practice

Many municipalities undertake actions individually and/or collectively, in cooperation with central administrations, regional authorities, the private sector, and other municipalities (both nationally and internationally). This paper aims to examine how they use transnational municipal networks (TMNs) as a tool for cooperation that supports marine governance in the context of climate change adaptation and mitigation. The analysis is carried out at two dimensions: spatial range (global or regional) and spatial identity (coastal or inland). Three case studies of TMNs are examined in detail: the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40); Connecting Delta Cities (CDC) and the Union of Baltic Cities (UBC). As research has shown, due to their organizational and normative limitations and a lack of maturity in ocean literacy, TMNs are not able to fully engage in all the activities related to climate change adaptation and mitigation as suggested by the UNEP. The TMNs implement both mitigation and adaptation measures, although ‘soft’ mitigation actions seem to be the most common. While the scale and innovativeness of a networks’ operation are determined by their specificity resulting from their spatial identity, the effectiveness of jointly developed strategies and actions depend heavily on the allocation of human resources and the level of commitment of the involved cities toward becoming leaders.

Indigenous Environmental Justice within Marine Ecosystems: A Systematic Review of the Literature on Indigenous Peoples’ Involvement in Marine Governance and Management

We develop and apply a systematic review methodology to identify and understand how the peer-reviewed literature characterises Indigenous peoples’ involvement in marine governance and management approaches in terms of equity and justice worldwide. We reviewed the peer-reviewed English-language research articles between January 2015 and September 2020 for examples of Indigenous peoples’ involvement in marine governance and management using the analytical lens of environmental justice. The majority of research studies highlighted that Indigenous peoples experienced some form of environmental injustice linked to existing marine governance and management, most notably in the context of inequitable decision-making procedures surrounding the establishment and operation of marine protected areas. However, there are significant gaps in the current literature, including a notable absence of studies exploring Indigenous women and other gender minorities’ involvement in marine planning and management and the limited number of studies about Indigenous peoples living throughout Asia, the Arctic, Russia, and Africa. More studies are needed to explore collaborative and intersectional approaches, including co-governance and co-management and ecosystem-based management, and critically evaluate what constitutes inclusive, equitable, and just marine governance and management processes, practices, and outcomes for different Indigenous peoples occupying diverse social–ecological systems.

PEMBANGUNAN TATA KELOLA KELAUTAN INDONESIA: PERAN HUKUM INTERNATIONAL MEMBENTUK ETIKA BISNIS KELAUTAN

Issues related to marine governance still need some improvement in Indonesia, where issues on determination of the maritime boundaries between Indonesia and other states are unsettled, the inadequate utilization and development of coastal areas and small islands to the large number of business activities that pollute the sea. This is due to unethical business practices and neglect of marine sustainability. This study aims to examine the development of marine governance from the perspective of international law. The development of governance can begin with the dissemination of business ethics which is an important part of marine governance. This normative juridical study, collected through literature study is analyzed using a qualitative deductive method. The results shows that international law contributes to upholding ethical standards of business and disseminating it to other states. Therefore, Indonesia needs to promote an appropriate business ethics oriented to environmental sustainability. It can begin by spreading the ethic from the international to the national level.

Policy Formulation of The Marine Governance In The Coastal Southern Lebak Regency Banten Province

This paper is aimed to explain the presence of marine potentials in the southern coastal area of Lebak Regency, Banten Province that have not been fully exploited. There are several potentials found in this Regency, the extensive coastline of approximately 91.42 km², and the marine resources and fisheries that could be developed. The potentials include not only fisheries and tourism but also mining. With such a high rate of development in the coastal area of Lebak Regency, it will certainly cause various problems in the region such as First, the degradation of coastal and marine ecosystems in Lebak Regency; Second, the increasing intensity of environmental pollution caused by mining and extraction activities; Third, the vulnerability to natural disasters (abrasion, tsunami, erosion, climate change, et cetera); Fourth, the occurrence of area utilization conflict; and Fifth, low productivity of biological marine resources utilization. The method used in this study was a qualitative research method with in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation. The results show that two issues become marine management problems in the southern coastal area of Lebak Regency, the first is environmental degradation, the second is space use conflicts, and the third is waste pollution due to organic and non-organic waste. Meanwhile, actor mapping shows that the government, in this case, the Regent as the authority in the area, has the power, influence, and interest to give input to the marine management of the Southern Coast of Lebak Regency so that it would not only increase the local revenue but also have a significant effect on the local communities, especially the fisher people and, and the environmental sustainability.

The legal framework for resource management in the deep sea

The deep oceans and their protection, management, research, and resources are governed by a range of legal instruments. This chapter sets out the relevant legal framework for the deep oceans and discusses the role of scientists in ocean governance. The chapter introduces the law’s spatial zoning approach to marine governance and considers the role of coastal states in managing marine spaces and resources through domestic law. The chapter then offers a discussion of the international legal framework for deep-sea fishing, marine pollution, deep-sea mining, and marine scientific research, before analysing current gaps in the law relating to marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, as well as ocean fertilisation.