Abstract
Meaningful stakeholder engagement is important to collaborative decision-making and to effective polycentric governance, particularly when managing cross-scale environmental issues like those involving marine migratory species. In this paper, we explore the barriers to, and opportunities for, stakeholder involvement in the governance of threats to marine migratory species in eastern Australia, using semi-structured qualitative interviews and a focus group, as an example of the generic problem of managing migratory species within a large range state with multiple jurisdictions. Respondents identified several barriers to, and opportunities for, improved stakeholder involvement in the governance of marine migratory species, corresponding to 4 main themes: decision-making processes, information sharing, institutional structures, and participation processes. Respondents indicated that the governance system protecting marine turtles, dugongs, humpback whales, and non-threatened migratory shorebirds in eastern Australia would benefit from the introduction of new information pathways, reformed institutional structures (including environmental legislation), and improved participatory pathways for non-government stakeholders. Such changes could help harmonise the process of managing these species, leading to more effective conservation management throughout their range.
Highlights
Addressing the negative impact of the Anthropocene will require robust and effective environmental governance (Mace 2014, Leenhardt et al 2015)
We focused on Australian stakeholder agencies involved in the governance of threats to marine turtles, dugongs, humpback whales, and 27 species of non-threatened migratory shorebirds protected under the Wildlife Conservation Plan for Migratory Shorebirds (Commonwealth of Australia 2015)
Respondents from all stakeholder agencies emphasised the need for reforming decision-making processes, improving information sharing, reforming institutional structures, and developing more transparent and simpler participatory pathways as a means of improving the overall governance of marine turtles, dugongs, humpback whales, and nonthreatened migratory shorebirds in eastern Australia (Table 4, Fig. 1)
Summary
Addressing the negative impact of the Anthropocene will require robust and effective environmental governance (Mace 2014, Leenhardt et al 2015). Graham et al 2003, Reed et al 2009) Identifying and involving such stakeholders should help natural resource managers reduce bias in decision-making and capture diverse values and management concerns to develop appropriate governance interventions (Dietz et al 2003, Folke et al 2005, Luyet et al 2012, Benham 2017). Because stakeholders hold a Effective environmental governance is often underpinned by a polycentric governance system (Graham et al 2003, Lockwood 2010). Polycentric governance often includes actors operating at both the same level of governance (e.g. a state government interacting with other state governments) and different levels of governance
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
