Integrated Marine Governance: Questions of Legitimacy

Abstract

Marine ecosystems are threatened by multiple economic activities, suchas fisheries, commercial shipping, oil- and gas production, offshore windmillparks, and tourism. To find solutions for these problems several countries and the eu are taking initiatives to develop integrated maritime policy. Marine governance is the sharing of policy making competencies in a system of negotiation between nested governmental institutions at several levels (international, (supra)national, regional and local) on the one hand and governmental actors, market parties and civil society organizations on the other in order to govern activities at sea and their consequences. The involvement of multiple actors, multiple levels and the coordination and integration of different sectoral marine activities will affect the legitimacy of integrated marine governance. This paper formulates questions of legitimacy and challenges for integrated marine governance