Local to regional polycentric governance approaches within the Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystems

Abstract

Interactive and stepwise governance processes are commonly replacing the more traditional approaches to managing coastal and marine environments. The ecosystem-based management approach itself recognises the many levels and sectors that need to interact and negotiate in order to provide effective management of all interests within the ecosystem(s), including socioeconomic interests and the need for sustainable use of goods and services. Polycentric Governance offers examples and case studies of more effective interactive participation at both the horizontal (between equal entities and/or institutions) and vertical (top–down, bottom–up) levels. This sort of governance approach is essential at both the national and regional levels to ensure full engagement between as many appropriate and involved stakeholders as possible if ecosystem-based management is to be effective and sustainable. This is particularly important to the governance of Large Marine Ecosystems that are transboundary between a number of countries and are also influenced and impacted across sovereign and high seas boundaries. The Agulhas Current and Somali Coastal Current Large Marine Ecosystems of the western Indian Ocean provide an example of how such polycentric governance mechanisms have evolved naturally through a process of interactive management of specific project activities leading to an overall Strategic Action Programme for effective governance.