Marine ecosystem-based management: challenges remain, yet solutions exist, and progress is occurring
Journal article, 2024
Marine ecosystem-based management (EBM) is recognized as the best practice for managing multiple ocean-use sectors, explicitly addressing tradeoffs among them. However, implementation is perceived as challenging and often slow. A poll of over 150 international EBM experts revealed progress, challenges, and solutions in EBM implementation worldwide. Subsequent follow-up discussions with over 40 of these experts identified remaining impediments to further implementation of EBM: governance; stakeholder engagement; support; uncertainty about and understanding of EBM; technology and data; communication and marketing. EBM is often portrayed as too complex or too challenging to be fully implemented, but we report that identifiable and achievable solutions exist (e.g., political will, persistence, capacity building, changing incentives, and strategic marketing of EBM), for most of these challenges and some solutions can solve many impediments simultaneously. Furthermore, we are advancing in key components of EBM by practitioners who may not necessarily realize they are doing so under different paradigms. These findings indicate substantial progress on EBM, more than previously reported.
Author
J. B. Haugen
NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center
J. S. Link
NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center
K. Cribari
NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center
A. Bundy
Bedford Institute of Oceanography
M. Dickey-Collas
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
H. M. Leslie
University of Maine
J. Hall
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)
E. A. Fulton
University of Tasmania
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
J. J. Levenson
U.S. Department of the Interior
D. M. Parsons
University of Auckland
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)
Ida-Maja Hassellöv
Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Maritime Studies
E. Olsen
Norwegian Institute of Marine Research
G. S. DePiper
NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center
R. R. Gentry
Nature Conservancy
Florida State University
D. E. Clark
Cawthron
R. E. Brainard
1stMission L.L.C.
D. Mateos-Molina
University of Murcia
Emirates Nature - World Wide Fund for Nature
A. Borja
Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA)
S. Gelcich
Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
M. Guilhon
German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ)
N. C. Ban
University of Victoria
D. Pedreschi
Marine Institute Ireland
A. Khan
African Development Bank Abidjan
R. Chuenpagdee
Memorial University of Newfoundland
S. I. Large
NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center
O. Defeo
Laboratorio de Ciencias del Mar
L. Shannon
University of Cape Town
Sarah Bailey
Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
A. Jordan
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
A. L. Agnalt
Norwegian Institute of Marine Research
NPJ Ocean Sustainability
2731426X (eISSN)
Vol. 3 1 7Driving Forces
Sustainable development
Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)
Business Administration
Earth and Related Environmental Sciences
DOI
10.1038/s44183-024-00041-1