Incorporation of human-wildlife interactions in ecosystem-based management to enhance conservation of endangered guitarfish.

Growing human use of the marine environment increases the proximity of humans to marine wildlife and thus likely increases human-wildlife interactions. Such interactions influence perceptions of nature and promote or undermine conservation. Despite their importance, human-wildlife interactions are rarely considered in ecosystem-based marine spatial planning (MSP). Ideally, these interactions should be identified and considered in ecosystem-based management (EBM), which is often purported to be the basis for MSP. We used Marxan software and data from a citizen science project documenting location, species, age, sex, and activity type to identify regions along Israel's coast with a high probability of encounters between people and 2 species of guitarfish. We considered the geographic distribution of these encounters and the various activities undertaken by the reporting observers. We ran 4 scenarios in Marxan. Two had conservation goals of 30% and 50% guitarfish habitat protection. In the third and fourth scenarios, we added a 50% conservation goal of human leisure activities to each guitarfish conservation goal. We also conducted a gap analysis between our guitarfish conservation goals and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority's master plan for marine protected areas. We found the park authority was close to meeting the 30% goal but was far from meeting the conservation goal of 50% of guitarfish habitat conservation. Different human uses were more likely to interact with different life stages of guitarfish, and different recreational activities occurred in different areas. Identifying areas of specific human use showed which activities should be addressed in conservation management decisions. Our addition of certain recreational uses to the model of habitat conservation showed how enhancing human dimensions in conservation planning can lead to more holistic ecosystem-based conservation necessary for effective marine planning.

Incorporación de las interacciones humano­fauna dentro de la gestión basada en el ecosistema para mejorar la conservación del pez guitarra en peligro Resumen El uso creciente que el humano le da al mar incrementa la cercanía de las personas con la fauna marina, lo que probablemente incrementa las interacciones humano­fauna. Dichas interacciones influyen sobre las percepciones que se tienen de la naturaleza y promueven debilitan la conservación. A pesar de su importancia, pocas veces se consideran las relaciones humano­fauna dentro de la planeación espacial basada en ecosistemas marinos (PEM). Lo ideal debería ser la identificación y consideración de estas interacciones dentro de la gestión basada en el ecosistema (GBE), la cual con frecuencia se considera como la base de la PEM. Usamos software Marxan y datos de un proyecto de ciencia ciudadana que documenta la ubicación, especie, edad, sexo y tipo de actividad para identificar las regiones de la costa de Israel con una alta probabilidad de encuentros entre las personas y dos especies de pez guitarra. Consideramos la distribución geográfica de estos encuentros y las diferentes actividades que realizan los observadores. En Marxan corrimos cuatro escenarios. Dos de los escenarios contaban objetivos de conservación del 30% y 50% de la protección del hábitat del pez guitarra. En los otros dos escenarios, añadimos un objetivo de conservación de 50% de las actividades humanas de recreación a los objetivos uno y dos. También realizamos un análisis de brecha entre los objetivos de conservación del pez guitarra y el plan maestro para las áreas marinas protegidas de la Autoridad de Parques y Naturaleza de Israel. Descubrimos que esta autoridad estaba cerca de lograr el objetivo del 30% pero lejos del de 50% de la conservación del hábitat del pez guitarra. Fue más probable que los diferentes usos humanos interactuaran con diferentes estadios de vida del pez guitarra y las diversas actividades recreativas ocurrieron en áreas distintas. La identificación de las áreas con un uso humano específico mostró cuáles actividades deberían abordarse en las decisiones de gestión de la conservación. La suma de ciertos usos recreativos al modelo de conservación del hábitat mostró cómo aumentar las dimensiones humanas en la planeación de la conservación puede derivar en una conservación basada en el ecosistema más holística, necesaria para la planeación marina eficiente.

The Role of Social License in Non-Industrial Marine and Coastal Planning: a Scoping Review.

Marine and coastal environments are diverse and dynamic, supporting competing human interests and demands. As society seeks to balance contested uses of space, more holistic planning processes have emerged, which consider social, economic, and ecological factors. One approach that considers social factors, and more specifically social acceptance, is "social license to operate" (SLO). Originating in the terrestrial mining industry, SLO has been adopted by various marine industries. Except for some emerging work in the conservation field, SLO is typically applied to industrial marine and coastal contexts. To understand SLO's uses in other marine and coastal planning contexts, namely conservation, adaptation, and restoration, we conducted a scoping review using the term SLO and similar concepts, including public or social acceptance, support, and buy-in. Results indicate the concept of SLO is still emerging in non-industrial marine and coastal planning, with an emphasis on gaining public acceptance rather than maintaining it. The concept of SLO was applied broadly, including as a measurement for public support and a product of effective engagement. Most publications focused on barriers and drivers of SLO. Influential factors are identified and organized by theme, then discussed based on their relationships within a social-ecological system framework. Considering the common factors and their associated systems helps to link elements necessary to obtain SLO, highlighting their interconnectedness with each other, society, and the natural environment. The findings of this review illustrate SLO's utility for academics and practitioners alike, through its application in methods, tools, values, and concepts that characterize public inclusion for marine and coastal planning.

Developing policy and practice for marine net gain.

Policies that require development projects to ensure no net loss (NNL) of biodiversity are becoming common globally. Momentum is increasing to extend this concept to one of net gain, including for the marine environment. While such policies are being formulated it is important to learn the lessons from NNL approaches and consider the wider opportunities presented by a net gain strategy. The vehicle for NNL is typically the mitigation hierarchy, which is applied through planning consents and licensing to projects expected to have significant environmental impact. However, it becomes clear that significant marine net gain is unlikely to be achieved by following this approach. Attempting site-based like-for-like compensation, restoration and enhancement is likely to result in only a minimal contribution towards aspirations for environmental recovery and addressing the climate and biodiversity crises. Moving forward with an effective net gain strategy will be a complex process, with challenges that range from a lack of data to the limitations presented by existing governance frameworks. In particular, the inadequate treatment of cumulative effects within the Environmental Impact Assessment process, and how regional marine planning can be better used to translate strategic objectives to the site level, need to be addressed. Taking the broader perspective of environmental (as opposed to biodiversity-only) net gain, and linking this to the natural capital approach offers advantages, and it is also essential that marine net gain considers species as well as habitats. Widespread marine net gain cannot occur independently of fisheries management, and extensive public engagement and stakeholder co-production is required to develop the necessary collaborative solutions.

Using stated preference valuation in the offshore environment to support marine planning.

This study presents valuations of components of marine natural capital that have hitherto been overlooked by the valuation literature. Using a discrete choice experiment, it values a set of ecosystem services linked to seabed natural capital in the UK section of the North Sea. The study focuses on offshore seabed habitats, using Good Environmental Status as a measure of seabed health, thus linking directly to management targets under the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. It considers how changing pressures on seabed habitats could affect marine industries and other ecosystems through trade-offs with (1) the contribution that exploitation of these habitats makes to the maritime cultural heritage; and (2) changes to the health of seabird populations. For seabed habitats and seabirds, the elicited values mainly represent non-use values for changes in the condition of natural capital assets. For maritime cultural heritage the valuation refers to the changed provision of this cultural ecosystem service. Results show that the public in England hold significant, strongly correlated, values for changes in the condition of offshore seabeds and seabird populations. Projected losses in maritime cultural heritage are found to lead to expected welfare decreases. Implications of these findings for marine planning and decision-making are discussed.