Institutional Frameworks for Ecosystem-based Management
Josh Eagle, School of Law, University of South Carolina
11 Jan 2008
Over the past decade, there have been increasing calls for the implementation of an ecosystem-based approach to marine resource management. These proposals are grounded in conservation biology and marine science. Specifically, they are based on two somewhat opposite assertions: first, that human activities affecting one species or habitat necessarily affect others; and second, that we do not exactly understand these effects. The desire to translate these ideas to management has led to discussions about a range of management tools, primarily spatial tools such as marine protected areas, marine reserves, and ocean zoning. Lost in the conversation, however, has been a deeper discussion regarding the institutional arrangements appropriate for designing and implementing these tools. My argument is that understanding the strengths and weaknesses of various institutions, i.e., state and federal agencies, legislatures, and courts, is a prerequisite to thinking practically about ecosystem-based management.