Posted on 30 November 2020
Community empowerment in marine spatial planning and EBM
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- EBM in action Improving decision-making Schools, education and communities Enhancing EBM practices Wellington/Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara
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The New Zealand Geographical Society held their biennial conference over 25-27 November at Victoria University of Wellington. The theme was Embracing Diversity: Expanding Geographies.
Enhancing EBM practices theme leader Karen Fisher and Policy and legislation for EBM researcher Hamish Rennie presented a 'lessons learnt' discussion session 'Marine spatial planning: ecosystem-based management, indigenous and local community empowerment?'
Speakers from all around the world including Australia, North Sea, Hauraki Gulf, Indonesia and Fiji spoke at the session about different perspectives and experiences of ecosystem-based management (EBM) and marine spatial planning.
The session specifically explored an EBM approach to marine spatial planning through an indigenous and local community lens. This approach was contrasted to other traditional, Western management approaches that can marginalise indigenous and local peoples and knowledges.
The overarching focus of the session was on the processes to implementing EBM and community empowerment. The session also acknowledged the need for marine management to evolve to better reflect the diversity of uses, activities and increasing pressures in the marine environment.
