Governing the Exclusive Economic Zone: The Ocean Commons, Cumulative Impacts
and Potential Strategies for Improved Governance
Prepared by Katherine Andrews | July 2008 with funding from the sponsors
of the Ian Axford (New Zealand) Fellowships in Public Policy
Katherine Andrews is a Program Manager and
Division Chief for the Coral Reef Conservation Program, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Washington, DC.
Prior to joining NOAA, Katherine was the Executive Director of the
Coastal States Organization, an association that represented the
interests of the Governors of the 35 coastal states and territories
on ocean and coastal policy in Washington DC. She previously held
the position of Director of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas for
the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
During Katherine's Ian Axford Fellowship exchange to New Zealand
she was based at the Ministry for the Environment, where she analysed
governance strategies for Exclusive Economic Zones.
Abstract
Coming into effect in 1994, nations' rights and responsibilities to govern
their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) is a relatively recent phenomenon.
Technological advances have allowed for increased uses so the need to
improve governance of these vast areas is more than a theoretical exercise.
Governance of any commons, such as the EEZ, comes with unique challenges.
The EEZ is a particularly difficult case to design a governance regime
for because of its size and dynamic nature. There are three mechanisms
for overcoming the challenges of governing a commons: the government,
privatization, or co-management. The New Zealand government is currently
developing legislation to improve management of the EEZ by filling regulatory
gaps and addressing cumulative effects on the environment.
This report discusses the strategy of cumulative effects assessments
and the advantages and disadvantages of this approach. The report then
goes on to analyze various other governance strategies, such as a whole
of government effort, marine spatial planning, and ocean zoning with and
without property interests. The advantages and disadvantages of each strategy
are discussed.
Table
of contents
Acknowledgments
Executive Summary
Introduction
1. EEZ governance in New Zealand and the United States
2. Challenges to governing the EEZ commons
3. Potential strategies for improving governance of New Zealand's EEZ
Conclusion
Bibliography
axford2008_andrews.pdf (353kb)
