Creating the spaces, filling them up. Marine spatial planning in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters

Abstract

Marine spatial planning (MSP) is a leading management tool worldwide for organising the way we interact with the marine environment. MSP utilises the latest and most accurate data available on the marine and coastal space and socio-economic factors in order to inform policy. But what does governance under MSP look like? In the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters strategic planning area in north-eastern Scotland MSP is ‘the new kid on the block’. This paper draws on the concept of governmentality to better understand how a new governance system (the block) is emerging to support MSP by making people and the seas more governable. It suggests that the local authorities – The Orkney Islands Council and The highland council – are strong contenders to be leaders in this new system, in collaboration with other key actors such as Marine Scotland. These actors are vying for influence over the new system. For this they need to legitimise their positions and legitimise MSP itself. One way that they do this is by nurturing a ‘mentality of space’ among stakeholders and the general public. Teaching other actors to think and communicate in spatial terms eases the transition to MSP. Certain technologies are used to aid the learning process, such as maps, models and diagrams. However, the system is still in the making and uncertainties and resistance remain.On a theoretical level these findings demonstrate how closely related the governance system, governmentality, and MSP are, and how they co-evolve. Appreciating these links can help inform current and future experiences with MSP, and help us to understand the role of power in processes of social organisation.