Polycentric Regional Ocean Governance Opportunity in the Benguela Current Convention

Abstract

The Benguela Current Convention (BCC) has been operational for a decade and has emerged from the precursor natural and fisheries science large marine ecosystem programs. This regional ocean governance institution emerged indigenously as an intergovernmental working arrangement across the Republics of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa. The Convention has been described as a Centralized Authority mode of regional ocean governance. This paper explores this description with reference to the ecosystem-based approach to marine management. The study is focused on the level of working arrangements within the Convention and its Commission across the national and regional scales. It finds that the BCC does meet the theoretical criteria of a polycentric governance mechanism at the resolution of its operations. Polycentric ocean governance mechanisms are valued in regional ocean governance as they potentially offer greater impact through higher levels of coordination, codesign, and integration. Polycentric governance systems incorporate multiple centers of authority that operate at different scales. Existing instances and further opportunities for polycentric governance mechanisms within the working arrangements of the Convention are identified for the Southeast Atlantic.

Identifying and Comparing Important Areas for Marine Sustainable Use and Conservation

“…Integration was achieved through vertical coordination between regional and national levels, and horizontally within and between governments by means of formally established inter-ministerial expert structures leading the technical and scientific implementation (Figure 3; Finke et al, 2020a). Given that the BCLME countries have a relatively long history of multi-sector cooperation aimed at regional and national cross-sector coordination (de Barros Neto et al, 2016;Hamukuaya et al, 2016;Naidoo et al, 2021), two Regional Working Groups (RWGs)-one on MSP and the other on EBSAs-were established in 2016 under the BCC. The groups comprise up to five government officials from each country that represent each of the key sector ministries/departments: fisheries, mining, petroleum, transport, and environment.…”

Practical Marine Spatial Management of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas: Emerging Lessons From Evidence-Based Planning and Implementation in a Developing-World Context

“…Integration was achieved through vertical coordination between regional and national levels, and horizontally within and between governments by means of formally established inter-ministerial expert structures leading the technical and scientific implementation (Figure 3; Finke et al, 2020a). Given that the BCLME countries have a relatively long history of multi-sector cooperation aimed at regional and national cross-sector coordination (de Barros Neto et al, 2016;Hamukuaya et al, 2016;Naidoo et al, 2021), two Regional Working Groups (RWGs)-one on MSP and the other on EBSAs-were established in 2016 under the BCC. The groups comprise up to five government officials from each country that represent each of the key sector ministries/departments: fisheries, mining, petroleum, transport, and environment.…”