Blue Economy and Competing Discourses in International Oceans Governance

Abstract

In this article, we track a relatively new term in global environmental governance: "blue economy." Analyzing preparatory documentation and data collected at the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development (i.e., Rio þ 20), we show how the term entered into use and how it was articulated within four competing discourses regarding human-ocean relations: (a) oceans as natural capital, (b) oceans as good business, (c) oceans as integral to Pacific Small Island Developing States, and (d) oceans as small-scale fisheries livelihoods. Blue economy was consistently invoked to connect oceans with Rio þ 20's "green economy" theme; however, different actors worked to further define the term in ways that prioritized particular oceans problems, solutions, and participants. It is not clear whether blue economy will eventually be understood singularly or as the domain of a particular actor or discourse. We explore possibilities as well as discuss discourse in global environmental governance as powerful and precarious.

Blue growth: savior or ocean grabbing?

“…driving it, fits in the 'natural capital' box. As emphasized by the authors themselves, though (Silver et al 2015), these two narratives and hence the policy proposals flowing from them clearly overlap. The natural capital framing's 'problem and solution' extends to fisheries and blue resources generally -not just the coastal ecosystem.…”

“…representatives of small-scale fisher peoples in policy development in the different global forums, where they have been developed 12 -and, more generally, how the human rights-based approach and developmental concerns raised in the blue economy discourse by fisher peoples' movements (as identified in Silver et al 2015) are not represented in the concurrent policy proposals.…”

“…The concept was first introduced by the FAO, UNEP and others in a 2009 report titled Blue Carbon: the role of healthy oceans in binding carbon (Nelleman et al 2009). Since then, it has been drawn into the blue economy discourse (Silver et al 2015) and as the above quote suggests was actively pushed at COP21 of the UNFCCC process, and most recently at COP22 in Morocco (IISD 2016a). In line with the ecosystem services framework approach to nature-society relations, the report (and a number of follow-up reports, e.g.…”

“…In light of these two sets of blue growth policy solutions, which of the four narratives identified by Silver et al (2015) have so far come out on top and what does this mean in terms of restoring ocean health? With its emphasis on creating the right incentives, building partnerships with the private sector and with the international organizations in the driving seat of global coalitions, the CFI fits squarely within the 'good business' narrative.…”

“…Employing discourse analysis, Silver et al (2015) examine the competing and contrasting invocation of the term 'blue economy' at the meeting in Rio. They identified four different narratives: oceans as natural capital, oceans as good business, oceans as integral to smallisland developing states (SIDS), and oceans as small-scale fishers' livelihoods.…”