Practical use of full-spectrum sustainability in the Bay of Fundy

Abstract

It is increasingly recognized that sustainability is composed of four key components: environmental, economic, social (including cultural), and institutional (or governance). Fisheries and coastal management systems, however, are heavily weighted toward biophysical and ecological aspects, thus leaving the "human dimension," i.e., social, economic, and institutional, relatively neglected. Full-spectrum sustainability (FSS) is an approach to resource management that aims to address this imbalance. Management plans are beginning to include elements of FSS, yet there are very few practical examples of successfully implemented FSS strategies. We examined and compared the potential application of two proposed FSS frameworks in the Bay of Fundy, one based on the Southwest New Brunswick Marine Advisory Committee Community Values Criteria, and the other on the Framework for Comprehensive Evaluation from the Canadian Fisheries Research Network. These were compared in structure and in their practical application to evaluation of plans for herring (Clupea harengus) management and the recovery of the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalena glacialis) in the Maritime region of Canada. Although the two frameworks differ in specific structure, both frameworks are useful in demonstrating the strengths and weaknesses of current management plans. This evaluation demonstrates that the management plans are strong in attention to ecological objectives but have gaps in the spectrum of considerations in current management planning, especially in relation to social, economic, and governance considerations. We propose that FSS frameworks can provide and should be used routinely as the basis for analysis of policies and management plans, engagement and discussion among stakeholders in participatory governance, comparison of alternative management scenarios, and the generation of advice. Use of FSS frameworks will allow better decisions on coastal activities within the context of "balanced" FSS.

Collaborations in Environmental Initiatives for an Effective “Adaptive Governance” of Social–Ecological Systems: What Existing Literature Suggests

“…Therefore, moderators or facilitators have the fundamental role in assuring equity through an objective and impartial management of trade-offs on interests and needs among actors [26,99,106]. The need for equity explains why collective initiatives are often sustained by external groups of experts, mostly NGOs and universities [100,110] who involve local stakeholders through, e.g., citizen-science tools, trips, workshops, and practical exercises of participative multicriteria assessments [24,26,90,93,94,100,111,112]. In order to guarantee equity in participative decision-making processes, facilitators and moderators have to assure the respect of privacy and allocate time allowing all actors to equally express their opinions and values [42,89].…”

Revisiting Integrated Coastal and Marine Management in Canada: Opportunities in the Bay of Fundy

“…Additionally, participants mentioned innovative partnerships that were emerging to build research and management structures, for example, collaboration between the Marine Institute of Natural and Academic Science (MINAS), Sipekne'katik First Nation (Indian Brook) First Nations, and the Ocean Tracking Network for conducting species monitoring in the Upper Bay. In the Lower Bay, participants recalled the development of the community values criteria (CVC) as a valuable output from the Marine Resource Planning initiative (MRP) that existed from (Jones and Stephenson, 2019. The CVC was a framework created by the MRP process involving numerous participants to recognize local-scale values and to evaluate proposed activities in the Lower Bay (LB 24).…”

“…Although CVC criteria were never used as envisioned, participants believed it worthwhile to incorporate the CVC into future decisionmaking for activities within the sub-region (Parlee and Wiber, 2018). The MRP process subsequently evolved into an advisory body [i.e., the Marine Advisory Council (MAC)] that has since been dissembled (Jones and Stephenson, 2019). Nonetheless, the experiences and lessons from the MAC contributed to the understanding of how different actor groups interact and made progress in determining how to embed community values within coastal and marine decision-making in their area.…”

“…These lessons should, in turn, be adapted into and reflected through current governance regimes (i.e., formal structures and processes). Some notable lessons for the Bay of Fundy can be derived from previous ICM initiatives in Atlantic Canada such as the CoastalCURA partnership, South Western New Brunswick Marine Advisory Committee, Eastern Scotian Shelf Integrated Management, and Bras d' Ors Watershed Collaborative Environmental Planning Initiative (CEPI) (Naug, 2007;Parlee and Wiber, 2018;Jones and Stephenson, 2019). Conversations continue to emerge surrounding community-based and multistakeholder approaches to environmental management to overcome the inefficiencies of central government efforts in the Bay of Fundy beginning before the Oceans Act and which have continued until the present day (Kearney et al, 2007;Wiber et al, 2010).…”

A comparison of sustainability objectives: how well does the Canadian Fisheries Research Network framework compare with fisheries, forestry, and aquaculture certification schemes?

“…Conflict among activities led to a decade-long attempt to introduce spatial planning and conflict resolution in the Southwest New Brunswick Marine Resource Planning Initiative, a participatory initiative to improve collaborative and consistent management of marine activities Wiber 2018, Jones and. That process, through extensive consultation, came up with a broad set of community values criteria not unlike the full spectrum management objectives laid out in the CFRN framework (Jones and Stephenson 2019).…”