• Energy Research
• AU close
• Marine Policy close

Nous nous trouvons à un carrefour critique pour la gouvernance future de la haute mer, mais l'éloignement perçu de l'océan mondial crée un obstacle psychologique pour que les gens s'y engagent. Compte tenu des défis de la surexploitation, de l'accès inéquitable et d'autres préoccupations en matière de durabilité et d'équité, les mécanismes actuels de gouvernance des océans ne sont pas adaptés à leur objectif. Cette décennie offre des opportunités d'impact direct sur la gouvernance des océans, cependant, déclencher une transformation mondiale sur la façon dont nous utilisons et protégeons la moitié de notre planète nécessite un effort concerté guidé par des valeurs et des principes partagés entre les régions et les secteurs. L'objectif de la série d'ateliers décrits dans ce document était d'entreprendre un processus de réflexion sur l'avenir qui pourrait utiliser le cadre Nature Futures comme un mécanisme pour apporter plus d'énergie transformatrice dans la façon dont les humains conceptualisent la haute mer et donc comment nous visons à gouverner l'océan. Nous avons constaté que l'engagement avec l'avenir à travers des récits de science-fiction permettait une appréciation plus radicale de ce qui pourrait être et que l'infusion d'éléments artistiques dans la science peut inspirer un public au-delà du milieu universitaire. Ainsi, les efforts créatifs de coproduction qui favorisent et encouragent l'imagination pour relever les défis actuels devraient être considérés comme des outils importants dans l'interface science-politique, également comme un moyen de susciter des réponses empathiques. Cette série d'ateliers était une première étape, et, espérons-le, prometteuse, vers la génération d'une pratique plus créative dans la façon dont nous imaginons et agissons pour un avenir meilleur pour la haute mer. Nos encontramos en una encrucijada crítica para la futura gobernanza de la alta mar, pero la lejanía percibida del océano global crea una barrera psicológica para que las personas se involucren con él. Dados los desafíos de la sobreexplotación, el acceso inequitativo y otras preocupaciones de sostenibilidad y equidad, los mecanismos actuales de gobernanza de los océanos no son adecuados para su propósito. Esta década ofrece oportunidades para un impacto directo en la gobernanza de los océanos, sin embargo, desencadenar una transformación global sobre cómo usamos y protegemos la mitad de nuestro planeta requiere un esfuerzo concertado que se guíe por valores y principios compartidos en todas las regiones y sectores. El objetivo de la serie de talleres descritos en este documento era emprender un proceso de pensamiento sobre el futuro que pudiera utilizar el Marco de Futuros de la Naturaleza como un mecanismo para aportar más energía transformadora a la forma en que los humanos conceptualizan la alta mar y, por lo tanto, cómo pretendemos gobernar el océano. Descubrimos que comprometerse con el futuro a través de narrativas de ciencia ficción permitía una apreciación más radical de lo que podría ser e infundir a la ciencia elementos artísticos puede inspirar a audiencias más allá de la academia. Por lo tanto, los esfuerzos creativos de coproducción que promueven y fomentan la imaginación para abordar los desafíos actuales deben considerarse como herramientas importantes en la interfaz ciencia-política, también como una forma de obtener respuestas empáticas. Esta serie de talleres fue un primer paso, y esperemos que prometedor, hacia la generación de una praxis más creativa en la forma en que imaginamos y luego actuamos para un futuro mejor para la alta mar. We find ourselves at a critical crossroads for the future governance of the high seas, but the perceived remoteness of the global ocean creates a psychological barrier for people to engage with it. Given challenges of overexploitation, inequitable access and other sustainability and equity concerns, current ocean governance mechanisms are not fit-for-purpose. This decade offers opportunities for direct impact on ocean governance, however, triggering a global transformation on how we use and protect the half of our planet requires a concerted effort that is guided by shared values and principles across regions and sectors. The aim of the series of workshops outlined in this paper, was to undertake a futures thinking process that could use the Nature Futures Framework as a mechanism to bring more transformative energy into how humans conceptualise the high seas and therefore how we aim to govern the ocean. We found that engaging with the future through science fiction narratives allowed a more radical appreciation of what could be and infusing science with artistic elements can inspire audiences beyond academia. Thus, creative endeavours of co-production that promote and encourage imagination to address current challenges should be considered as important tools in the science-policy interface, also as a way to elicit empathetic responses. This workshop series was a first, and hopefully promising, step towards generating a more creative praxis in how we imagine and then act for a better future for the high seas. نجد أنفسنا في مفترق طرق حاسم للإدارة المستقبلية لأعالي البحار، لكن البعد المتصور للمحيط العالمي يخلق حاجزًا نفسيًا أمام الناس للتعامل معه. بالنظر إلى تحديات الاستغلال المفرط والوصول غير العادل وغيرها من شواغل الاستدامة والإنصاف، فإن آليات إدارة المحيطات الحالية ليست مناسبة للغرض. يوفر هذا العقد فرصًا للتأثير المباشر على إدارة المحيطات، ومع ذلك، فإن إحداث تحول عالمي حول كيفية استخدامنا لنصف كوكبنا وحمايته يتطلب جهدًا متضافرًا يسترشد بالقيم والمبادئ المشتركة عبر المناطق والقطاعات. كان الهدف من سلسلة ورش العمل الموضحة في هذه الورقة هو إجراء عملية تفكير مستقبلي يمكن أن تستخدم إطار عمل مستقبل الطبيعة كآلية لجلب المزيد من الطاقة التحويلية إلى كيفية تصور البشر لأعالي البحار وبالتالي كيف نهدف إلى حكم المحيط. وجدنا أن الانخراط في المستقبل من خلال روايات الخيال العلمي سمح بتقدير أكثر جذرية لما يمكن أن يكون وغرس العلم بالعناصر الفنية يمكن أن يلهم الجماهير خارج الأوساط الأكاديمية. وبالتالي، يجب اعتبار المساعي الإبداعية للإنتاج المشترك التي تعزز وتشجع الخيال لمواجهة التحديات الحالية أدوات مهمة في واجهة العلوم والسياسات، وأيضًا كوسيلة لاستنباط استجابات متعاطفة. كانت سلسلة ورش العمل هذه خطوة أولى، ونأمل أن تكون واعدة، نحو توليد ممارسة أكثر إبداعًا في كيفية تخيلنا ثم العمل من أجل مستقبل أفضل لأعالي البحار.

Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities are amongst the most serious and persisting global concerns that negatively impact the environment, economy, and livelihoods. The concept of IUU fishing is elaborated under Para 3 of the 2001 International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IPOA-IUU) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In this article, the authors narrow the focus of the discussion herein on ‘illegal fishing’ activities, which generally fall under Para 3.1 of the IPOA-IUU, particularly examining the enforcement approaches against illegal fishing activities in national fisheries legislation. We explore a few overarching questions underpinning the scholarly debate on illegal fishing and crimes in the fisheries sector. First, whether criminalising illegal fishing or subjecting such fishing to criminal law processes lead to better compliance with fisheries legislation or is a more effective approach to tackling illegal fishing. Second, whether the problem of illegal fishing persists due to the lack of its criminalization or the resistance by States to criminalizing illegal fishing activities. Our assessment analyses the primary fisheries legislation of States and the European Union (EU) to better understand the enforcement approaches adopted therein, the responses used to empower national authorities, establish processes, delineate liability, and fix the sanction scheme, including the level of sanctions in terms of severity for illegal fishing. We ultimately aim to demonstrate that the options used to combat illegal fishing set out in national fisheries legislation are not limited to a single type of enforcement approach. Indeed, our assessment of national fisheries legislation shows that most States seem to follow a dual enforcement approach, which includes provisions enabling the use of both administrative and criminal processes and sanctions to enforce against illegal fishing and fishing related ...

We examine the implications of climate change for fishery governance using seven international fishery case studies in low, mid and high latitudes, including eastern Australia, the western Pacific Ocean, Alaska, west coast United States, Hawaii, west coast Canada and France. Climate change adds uncertainty about fish stock productivity, migratory patterns, trophic interactions and vulnerability of fish populations to fishing pressure. Fishery governance has to address additional uncertainty from climate change in both the system being governed and the governance systems. The case studies reveal governance issues that indicate adaptation will involve more flexible fishery management regimes, schemes for capacity adjustment, catch limitation and alternative fishing livelihoods for fishers. Where fishery governance systems have been less developed, fisheries are less able to adapt to climate change impacts. Adaptation involves addressing some of the most intractable allocation issues of fisheries management. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wildlife tourism (including pinniped tourism) offers people the opportunity to see wildlife in their natural environment. It can provide positive outcomes for the animals, through improved resources for conservation, or negative outcomes, such as inducing the animals to move away. This study assessed the impacts and sustainability of a novel but growing tourism industry, swimming with seals, based on interactions with New Zealand fur seals (Arctophoca australis forsteri) in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, between December 2011 and March 2012. The behaviour of all seals in the water (interaction, neutral, and avoidance) was monitored at 1 min intervals, during 16 seal-swim events. Seals mostly ignored the swimmers (54% of records), some interacted with swimmers (41%); seals rarely avoided the swimmers (5%). Interactions peaked in frequency at 6 min into the swims, then declined. They occurred most frequently during December, corresponding with the pupping period when juvenile seals—the age class most likely to interact—are excluded from breeding areas and so spend much of their time in the water. Compliance of tour operators to regulations was also monitored during seal-swim activities and the industry was found to be highly compliant. The results suggest the activities monitored had minimal impact on seals in the water, and are likely to be sustainable in relation to seal conservation. Tourism can be site and time specific, and it is recommended that approaches such as those trialled here be adopted to monitor other wildlife tourism activities to ensure their sustainability. Further research needs to examine potential impacts of the tours on seals ashore.

Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) are struggling to take appropriate actions for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Recent reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlighted the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems and fisheries, and at the same time, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) recently adopted a legally binding Resolution on climate change. This article briefly analyses the main provisions of the Resolution. It also highlights the importance of this Resolution as an example of the interaction between ocean and climate change legal regimes. This article argues that the Resolution is an initiative in the right direction. The IOTC needs to take proactive steps to implement the Resolution considering the challenges the RFMOs face in climate action generally.

Bait is an often-overlooked component in studies addressing operational and ecological risks in commercial fishing. One of the most valued fisheries in Australia, the Southern Rock Lobster Fishery, lacked analysis of bait use, which is relevant to both assessing ecological interactions of the fishery and also concerns around future supply. We conducted a survey to determine what species are predominantly being used as bait, assessed these species' sustainability status, and explored any risks around future supply. We found that fishers preferred a limited number of bait species and that some were being sourced from fisheries with an ‘unknown’ sustainability status, and many fishers were concerned about future bait supply. Insecurity of existing supply means that other bait options need to be explored. Furthermore, ongoing monitoring of species being used for bait would assist any future third party sustainability accreditation.

Abstract Maritime and territorial disputes have been a source of tension among the states bordering the South China Sea for decades. These disputes are often framed as being at least partially driven by the desire to gain access to much needed seabed hydrocarbon resources. Suggestions that major oil and gas riches are at stake in the South China Sea have arguably encouraged States to be inflexible in their claims and negatively impacted on bilateral relations. Indeed, controversial incidents relating to hydrocarbon exploration have occurred on multiple occasions, and as recently as mid-2011. This paper critically examines the South China Sea ‘hydrocarbon factor’. The wide range of estimates that circulate in the public domain are discussed in detail. Using a hypothetical and optimistic estimate of disputed oil and gas reserves based on the best possible interpretation of available data, depletion and production curve analysis is applied to determine the production profile of disputed reserves, and an evaluation of their potential benefit to energy security for each country with claims in the South China Sea is made. Analysis shows that constraints on production mean that disputed South China Sea oil and gas may only constitute a small part of the solution to Southeast Asia's growing energy security challenges, and does not have the capacity to reverse the trend of growing reliance on imports to the region. Escalating demand for imported hydrocarbons would instead reinforce the importance of sea-lane security to regional energy security.

Abstract This paper responds to the challenge of how and when to adapt marine capture fisheries to climate change by (1) providing a set of fisheries policy options to climate change; (2) developing a risk and vulnerability assessment and management decision-making framework for adaptation; and (3) describing the possible strategies and tactics for ex ante and ex post climate adaptation in the marine environment. Its contributions include (1) a discussion of how management objectives and instruments influence resilience and adaptation; (2) a decision-making process to assess vulnerabilities to climate change and to manage adaptation responses; (3) an inter-temporal framework to assist decision-makers on when to adapt; (4) a risk and simulation approach to confront the uncertainties of the possible losses due to climate change and the net benefits of adaptation; (5) an explanation of how adaptive co-management can promote flexible adaptation responses and also strengthen adaptation capacity; and (6) a selection of possible ‘win–win’ management actions.

Some of the most important development goals for the countries and territories of the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) involve the sustainable management of their fisheries in light of environmental, economic and social uncertainties. The responses of fish populations to variability in the marine environment have implications for decision making processes associated with resource management. There is still considerable uncertainty in estimating the responses of tuna populations to short-to-medium-term variability and longer-term change in the oceanic environment. A workshop was organised to examine how advances in oceanography, fisheries science and fisheries economics could be applied to the tuna fisheries of the WCPO and in doing so identify research priorities to improve understanding relevant to progressing management. Research priorities identified included: (i) improved parameterisation of end to end ecosystem model components, processes and feedbacks through expanded biological observations and incorporation of higher resolution climate models; (ii) development of seasonal and inter-annual forecasting tools enabling management responses to short-term variability in tuna distributions and abundances; (iii) improved understanding of the population dynamics of and the energy transfer efficiencies between food web components; (iv) assessment of the optimal value of access rights and overall fishery value under multiple scenarios of tuna distribution and abundance and influences on decision making by fisheries managers and fleets and (v) development of management strategy evaluation frameworks for utilisation in the implementing and testing of fishery management procedures and to help prioritise research directions and investment. Issues discussed and research priorities identified during the workshop have synergies with other internationally managed fisheries and therefore are applicable to many other fisheries.

Abstract This paper reports on initial assessments of applicability and availability of potential abatement measures for Pacific domestic shipping scenarios that are being considered for emissions abatement for common Pacific Island vessel types. The studies have been undertaken to inform the Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership (PSBP), an initiative led by Fiji and Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) to catalyse a multi-country transition to sustainable, resilient, and low-carbon shipping, drawing down to zero-carbon domestic shipping in participating Pacific Island Countries (PICs) by 2050, with a 40% reduction achieved by 2030. The PBSP, in turn, is a product of an action research discourse and theory of change project underway since 2012, and involving academies from the region and international counterparts. The studies add evidence to the assumptions that decarbonisation pathways for Pacific domestic shipping are sufficiently unique to require a bespoke and tailored solution for PICs; and the required transition is best led by a country-driven coordinated programme of work with a significant blended finance investment. A sufficient range of options exists with known measures to assume the initial target set by Fiji and RMI of 40% overall emissions reduction by 2030 is technically attainable and exceed-able, dependent on financial and capacity availability (which is not considered further in this paper). If demonstrable at Pacific domestic scenario scale, lessons learnt will have direct relevance to a number of other island, archipelagic, and coastal locales globally. Findings are preliminary only, reflecting the immature state of knowledge in this field and for this target, and are expected to be updated periodically as the science evolves.