Bringing \u2018Deep Knowledge\u2019 of Fisheries into Marine Spatial Planning

Alicia Said,Brice Trouillet

doi:10.1007/s40152-020-00178-y

Abstract

In marine spatial planning (MSP), the production of knowledge about marine-based activities is fundamental because it informs the process through which policies delineating the use of space are created and maintained. This paper revises our view of knowledge—developed during the mapping and planning processes—as the undisputed factual basis on which policy is developed. Rather, it argues that the construction, management, validation, and marginalisation of different types of knowledge stemming from different stakeholders or disciplinary approaches is at the heart of policy and planning processes. Using the case of fisheries-generated knowledge in the implementation of MSP, we contend that the fisheries data informing the MSP process are still very much streamlined to classical bio-economic metrics. Such metrics fall short of describing the plural and complex knowledges that comprise fisheries, such as localised social and cultural typologies, as well as the scale and dynamics, hence, providing incomplete information for the decision-making process of MSP. In this paper, we provide a way to move towards what we conceptualize as ‘Deep Knowledge’ and propose a model that brings together of the existing datasets and integrates socio-cultural data as well as complex spatiotemporal elements, to create dynamic rather than static datasets for MSP. We furthermore argue that the process of knowledge production and the building of the parameters of such datasets, should be based on effective stakeholder participation, whose futures depend on the plans that eventually result from MSP. Finally, we recommend that the ‘Deep Knowledge’ model is adopted to inform the process of knowledge production currently being undertaken in the diverse countries engaging in the MSP process. This will result in policies that truly reflect and address the complexities that characterise fisheries, and which are legitimized through a process of knowledge co-production.

Highlights

This article calls for a more nuanced and deliberate approach to producing knowledge about fisheries in the context of marine spatial planning (MSP), such that fisheries knowledge is more context-oriented and provides concrete detail of its uses, users and their needs
This article, calling for a spatial ‘deep knowledge’ perspective for fisheries in MSP is precisely about the urgent need of a new MSP lens and focus that can account for the diversity of fisheries. We argue that such ‘deep knowledge’ can be achieved by improving the technical considerations in mapping processes and through a more inclusive political approach that reflects the multiple voices both in the mapping and the planning processes
We focus on two key parameters that can provide deep knowledge for MSP processes: (i) ‘technical considerations’ of MSP knowledge production where we discuss the need for a wider lens to capture the ‘bigger’ picture of fisheries, including for example, implicit data pertaining to the social and cultural aspects of the fishery and (ii) ‘political considerations’ of MSP knowledge production to showcase the importance of an inclusive lens when capturing knowledge for both mapping and planning processes

Summary

Introduction

This article calls for a more nuanced and deliberate approach to producing knowledge about fisheries in the context of marine spatial planning (MSP), such that fisheries knowledge is more context-oriented and provides concrete detail of its uses, users and their needs. By providing the means to fishers to become the owners and leaders of their own data process, they could become empowered to determine the type, style and width of the data and to use this tool as a political instrument to partake in decision-making fora with their own ‘scientific’ data (Trouillet et al, 2019) Through their participation, fishers can provide mapping of their metier uses, define spatial uses and frequency, identify zones of local social, cultural and economic importance, and flag information about hotspots and conflicts that would require specific resolution strategies in the milieu of marine spatial policy planning One can question the type of knowledges which are determined by one’s systems of knowledge production, the scientific methods involved and the metrics compiled, which being epitomized as neutral and objective, are determined by what the expert-compiled datasets and metric systems can represent (or not) as knowledge (NurseyBray et al, 2014)

Conclusion

Compliance with ethical standards