Participatory Governance? A Critical Perspective on Stakeholder Knowledge Integration in the Context of German Baltic MPAs
The ocean is under increasing pressure from various human activities, including overfishing, pollution, and climate change. In response to these challenges, marine protected areas (MPAs) have emerged as important and widely applied tools for conserving and restoring marine ecosystems. Considering th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cogitatio
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Ocean and Society |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/oceanandsociety/article/view/9239 |
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| author | Neele Neddersen Josefine B. Gottschalk Michael Kriegl Heike Schwermer |
| author_facet | Neele Neddersen Josefine B. Gottschalk Michael Kriegl Heike Schwermer |
| author_sort | Neele Neddersen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The ocean is under increasing pressure from various human activities, including overfishing, pollution, and climate change. In response to these challenges, marine protected areas (MPAs) have emerged as important and widely applied tools for conserving and restoring marine ecosystems. Considering the complexity of identifying appropriate management measures and the resulting dynamics of their implementation, the integration of various knowledge types is of crucial importance. Germany has evolved as a leading advocate for marine conservation, playing an influential role in global conservation efforts. This context provides an interesting opportunity for examining the social and political dynamics of MPA implementation. In this study, we investigate the role of participatory approaches to knowledge integration using the case of two MPAs located in the German exclusive economic zone of the Baltic Sea. To this end, we conducted and analyzed 13 interviews with stakeholders from fisheries, environmental protection, public administration, and science. This approach was complemented by the review of documents leading to the adoption of the management plans. Our research addresses two key questions: (a) How much and what kind of knowledge is included in the management plan of the two German Baltic Sea MPAs and (b) how does this institutional framework promote or hinder the integration of diverse knowledge types? Our findings highlight the obstacles (e.g., power imbalances between different participation levels) of participatory governance levels in the two German MPAs. Thus, this study provides valuable insights for enhancing the effectiveness of participatory governance in German MPAs, thereby advancing marine conservation efforts. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8d145f776bdb4b10bb8bb12a1602b5b5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2976-0925 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Cogitatio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ocean and Society |
| spelling | doaj-art-8d145f776bdb4b10bb8bb12a1602b5b52025-08-20T03:24:53ZengCogitatioOcean and Society2976-09252025-02-012010.17645/oas.92394027Participatory Governance? A Critical Perspective on Stakeholder Knowledge Integration in the Context of German Baltic MPAsNeele Neddersen0Josefine B. Gottschalk1Michael Kriegl2Heike Schwermer3School of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lueneburg, Germany / Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries sciences, University of Hamburg, GermanyIndependent Researcher, GermanyLeibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), GermanyDepartment of Agricultural Economics, Kiel University, Germany / Center for Ocean and Society, Kiel University, GermanyThe ocean is under increasing pressure from various human activities, including overfishing, pollution, and climate change. In response to these challenges, marine protected areas (MPAs) have emerged as important and widely applied tools for conserving and restoring marine ecosystems. Considering the complexity of identifying appropriate management measures and the resulting dynamics of their implementation, the integration of various knowledge types is of crucial importance. Germany has evolved as a leading advocate for marine conservation, playing an influential role in global conservation efforts. This context provides an interesting opportunity for examining the social and political dynamics of MPA implementation. In this study, we investigate the role of participatory approaches to knowledge integration using the case of two MPAs located in the German exclusive economic zone of the Baltic Sea. To this end, we conducted and analyzed 13 interviews with stakeholders from fisheries, environmental protection, public administration, and science. This approach was complemented by the review of documents leading to the adoption of the management plans. Our research addresses two key questions: (a) How much and what kind of knowledge is included in the management plan of the two German Baltic Sea MPAs and (b) how does this institutional framework promote or hinder the integration of diverse knowledge types? Our findings highlight the obstacles (e.g., power imbalances between different participation levels) of participatory governance levels in the two German MPAs. Thus, this study provides valuable insights for enhancing the effectiveness of participatory governance in German MPAs, thereby advancing marine conservation efforts.https://www.cogitatiopress.com/oceanandsociety/article/view/9239baltic seaexclusive economic zoneinstitutional frameworkknowledge typesmarine protected areanature conservationparticipatory governancesocial‐ecological systemstakeholder participation |
| spellingShingle | Neele Neddersen Josefine B. Gottschalk Michael Kriegl Heike Schwermer Participatory Governance? A Critical Perspective on Stakeholder Knowledge Integration in the Context of German Baltic MPAs Ocean and Society baltic sea exclusive economic zone institutional framework knowledge types marine protected area nature conservation participatory governance social‐ecological system stakeholder participation |
| title | Participatory Governance? A Critical Perspective on Stakeholder Knowledge Integration in the Context of German Baltic MPAs |
| title_full | Participatory Governance? A Critical Perspective on Stakeholder Knowledge Integration in the Context of German Baltic MPAs |
| title_fullStr | Participatory Governance? A Critical Perspective on Stakeholder Knowledge Integration in the Context of German Baltic MPAs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Participatory Governance? A Critical Perspective on Stakeholder Knowledge Integration in the Context of German Baltic MPAs |
| title_short | Participatory Governance? A Critical Perspective on Stakeholder Knowledge Integration in the Context of German Baltic MPAs |
| title_sort | participatory governance a critical perspective on stakeholder knowledge integration in the context of german baltic mpas |
| topic | baltic sea exclusive economic zone institutional framework knowledge types marine protected area nature conservation participatory governance social‐ecological system stakeholder participation |
| url | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/oceanandsociety/article/view/9239 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT neeleneddersen participatorygovernanceacriticalperspectiveonstakeholderknowledgeintegrationinthecontextofgermanbalticmpas AT josefinebgottschalk participatorygovernanceacriticalperspectiveonstakeholderknowledgeintegrationinthecontextofgermanbalticmpas AT michaelkriegl participatorygovernanceacriticalperspectiveonstakeholderknowledgeintegrationinthecontextofgermanbalticmpas AT heikeschwermer participatorygovernanceacriticalperspectiveonstakeholderknowledgeintegrationinthecontextofgermanbalticmpas |