Caring for the Commons: Socio-cultural Considerations in Oceans Policy Development and Implementation

Abstract

"The worldwide decline in the sustainability of the oceans' resources brings with it the need to manage the oceans as one of the world's last commonly-held resource pools. Socio-cultural considerations will determine the policy options capable of achieving an effective management regime. The stakeholders in the policies are those current and future Australian citizens who have major economic, socio-cultural interests and/or environmental interests in the oceans. In one respect or another this will involve every citizen.

"For the purposes of this paper, the interested parties in oceans' policy are identified by level of contribution to the national income, area of social responsibility of government and non-government agencies, and the effects of environmental impact, respectively. Applying these criteria, documents are reviewed and opinions are canvassed from members of (a) the industries of tourism, oil, shipping, fishing and farming; (b) community-based initiatives such as the national Coastal Strategy, CoastCare, local watchdog groups, sailing associations, conservation organisations, and Indigenous communities; and (c) environmental scientists and managers knowledgeable about the risks to the oceans from unsustainable resource extraction, terrestrial run-off, loss of biodiversity and pollutants such as oil slicks and ballast water."