Justification theory for the analysis of the socio-cultural value of fish and fisheries : The case of Baltic salmon

The ecosystem approach to fisheries management requires ecosystems to be perceived in a holistic way, including the dynamics not only within an ecosystem but also between the ecosystem and society. This implies that people involved in decision-making processes should understand why fish and fisheries are important for society, that is, be aware of the socio-cultural values that people associate with fisheries. In this paper, the justification theory of Boltanski and Thevenot is applied to material collected through a literature review to identify sociocultural values relating to Baltic salmon, and the potential of the approach for fisheries governance is discussed. The analysis demonstrates that fish resources can have multiple meanings to society. Justification theory is found useful for identifying socio-cultural values related to fisheries, since it suggests shifting attention from opposing interests to the common good. Agreeing on the common good is crucial for the legitimacy of governance. However, because the common good can be defined in multiple ways, these definitions have to be made transparent through empirical analysis so that they can be further deliberated, evaluated and agreed upon by governors, stakeholders and others involved.Peer reviewe

How can stakeholders promote environmental and social responsibility in the shipping industry?

The highly globalized and competitive nature of the shipping industry poses serious governance challenges. Recently, the use of voluntary measures, such as corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, has been explored in terms of moving towards environmentally and socially responsible as well as safe shipping industry practices. Limited attention has been paid on the role of stakeholders such as consumers, employees, NGOs, and academia in pressuring the shipping industry towards greater environmental and social responsibility. Here, by applying stakeholder theory and drawing on examples of already materialized stakeholder actions and multistakeholder initiatives, we study the potential ways that stakeholders can promote CSR in the shipping industry: we explore the resource dependencies between stakeholders, the stakeholder influence strategies, and the importance of multi-stakeholder pressure. We show that stakeholders can gain more power by using indirect strategies such as working via and/or in alliances with NGOs, trade unions, banks and financers, and/or different national or international regulatory bodies, as well as with the industry itself. Our results reveal the potential of multi-stakeholder pressure and action to promote the adoption of CSR activities, support the transparency, legitimacy, and enforcement of the practices, as well as widen the scope and focus of CSR initiatives and practices by focusing on a broad range of social and environmental issues. Finally, stakeholder pressure can push towards improved regulations. The study suggests that increased attention needs to be paid on the multi-stakeholder demands, especially considering the accentuated importance of effective maritime governance in the future.Peer reviewe

Socio-cultural values as a dimension of fisheries governance : The cases of Baltic salmon and herring

The socio-cultural values associated with fish and fisheries affect the utilization and management of fish resources. However, these values often remain implicit in fisheries governance. This paper suggests addressing values explicitly to enhance the legitimacy of governance. We analyzed the values related to Baltic salmon and herring in Finland and Estonia, based on stakeholder interviews. By identifying similarities and differences between the values associated with two species in two countries, this paper demonstrates the multivalued nature of fish and fisheries. Based on our analysis, we recommend explicit and systematic inclusion of values in the early stages of governance processes to ensure morally reasoned management and use of fish resources.Peer reviewe

A proactive approach for maritime safety policy making for the Gulf of Finland : seeking best practices

A rapid increase in maritime traffic together with challenging navigation conditions and a vulnerable ecosystem has evoked calls for improving maritime safety in the Gulf of Finland, (the Baltic Sea). It is suggested that these improvements will be the result of adopting a regionally effective proactive approach to safety policy formulation and management. A proactive approach is grounded on a formal process of identifying, assessing and evaluating accident risks, and adjusting policies or management practices before accidents happen. Currently, maritime safety is globally regulated by internationally agreed prescriptive rules, which are usually revised in reaction to accidents. The proactive Formal Safety Assessment (FSA) is applied to risks common to a ship type or to a particular hazard, when deemed necessary, whereas regional FSA applications are rare. An extensive literature review was conducted in order to examine the opportunities for developing a framework for the GoF for handling regional risks at regional level. Best practices were sought from nuclear safety management and fisheries management, and from a particular case related to maritime risk management. A regional approach that sees maritime safety as a holistic system, and manages it by combining a scientific risk assessment with stakeholder input to identify risks and risk control options, and to evaluate risks is proposed. A regional risk governance framework can improve safety by focusing on actual regional risks, designing tailor-made safety measures to control them, enhancing a positive safety culture in the shipping industry, and by increasing trust among all involved.Peer reviewe

Best practices to improve maritime safety in the Gulf of Finland : a risk governance approach

The Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea is a vulnerable sea area with high volumes of maritime traffic and difficult navigation conditions. The reactive international rules are not anymore regarded adequate in ensuring safety in this sea area. In this paper, a regional proactive risk governance approach is suggested for improving the effectiveness of safety policy formulation and management in the Gulf of Finland, based on the risk governance framework developed by the International Risk Governance Council (IRGC), the Formal Safety Assessment approach adopted by the International Maritime Safety Organisation (IMO), and best practices sought from other sectors and sea areas. The approach is based on a formal process of identifying, assessing and evaluating accident risks at the regional level, and adjusting policies or management practices before accidents occur. The proposed approach sees maritime safety as a holistic system, and manages it by combining a scientific risk assessment with stakeholder input to identify risks and risk control options, and to evaluate risks. A regional proactive approach can improve safety by focusing on actual risks, by designing tailor-made safety measures to control them, by enhancing a positive safety culture in the shipping industry, and by increasing trust among all involved.Non peer reviewe

Dioxins in Baltic herring and salmon: an inter-sectoral decision analysis for optimal management of the problem

Ecosystem-based management (EBM) of natural resources requires recognition of the systemic intertwining of ecosystems and human society and an inter-sectoral approach. We used a Bayesian influence diagram to integrate different types of knowledge for evaluating alternative sectoral and inter-sectoral strategies to manage the dioxin problem of Baltic salmon and herring fisheries. The following strategies were evaluated: 1) decreasing dioxin and nutrient loading to the ecosystem, 2) herring and salmon fishing strategies, 3) dietary recommendations, and 4) improved information concerning the benefits of fish eating. In total nine decisions and their combinations were evaluated in the light of three alternative assessment criteria: 1) the dioxin concentrations of Baltic herring and salmon, 2) the human consumption of Baltic salmon and herring, and the associated health risks and benefits, and 3) the commercial value of herring and salmon catches. The results demonstrate the requirement to understand the effects of management measures in a holistic way: managing only one species or policy domain may not be effective, and may also have unanticipated systemic effects in the ecosystem. In general, optimal management depends to some extent on the assessment criteria used, as well as the order in which the decisions are made. Unsynchronized management decisions in different sectors may decrease each other’s effectiveness. This implies that to control the dioxin problem as effectively as possible, collaboration between the public health, environmental and fisheries sectors is needed.Non peer reviewe