Coastal and fisheries governance
Coastal and fisheries governance
Photo: Maria Hauck
The coast contains diverse ecosystems and landscapes that provide important livelihoods to local communities and indigenous people, many of whom are marginalised, live in poverty and have few economic opportunities. Thus, in addition to their ecological importance, coastal resources provide social, economic and cultural benefits to local people. Since 1990, the EEU has been engaged in a wide diversity of activities at the local, national, regional and international levels in the field of coastal and fisheries governance. In particular, the EEU has been instrumental in highlighting the critical importance of understanding the human-ecological systems of coastal and fisheries resource use, including the social, economic, political, cultural and institutional issues that influence, and are influenced by, governance arrangements.
Our work has adopted a grounded theory approach, drawing on empirical research in case study sites in South Africa, southern Africa and internationally, through research partnerships and collaborations. Our collaborative research projects have included academic institutions, government departments, industry stakeholders, non-governmental organisations and community-based organisations across a number of disciplines. These partnerships have ensured that our research on coastal and fisheries governance adopts an integrated interdisciplinary approach, and that the results of our research have far-reaching impacts. These impacts include contributing to international academic debates, participating in coastal and fisheries policy development processes, facilitating training and capacity development across a number of stakeholder groups and promoting social justice within the communities where we work. Through these activities the EEU will continue to promote and facilitate the implementation of a holistic, integrated and participatory approach to coastal and fisheries governance.
Projects
- Small-scale fisheries in South Africa and their potential to obtain Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification: A preliminary investigation
- A Framework and Guidelines for Incorporating Human Dimensions into MPA Planning and Management in relation to Small-scale Fisheries in South Africa
- Analysis of Benefits from Coastal Resources and Mechanisms for Equitable Benefit Sharing in Selected WIO Countries
- Access to the South African Coast: Examining the Attainment of Policy Goals Post-Apartheid
- Re-incorporating the excluded: Providing space for small-scale fishers in the sustainable development of fisheries of South Africa and South Asia’
- Towards Enhancing Small-Scale Fisheries Research and Governance in South Africa and Chile: A Collaborative Study
- Macassar Dunes Co-management
- Initiating a Co-Management Process for the Development of an Integrated Management Plan for the Kogelberg Marine Region
- Towards Improved Compliance in Small-Scale Fisheries in South Africa
- Coastal and Fisheries Co-Management: Towards equitable and sustainable management of the Olifants River Estuary, Western Cape, South Africa
