Marine protected area governance: Prospects for co-management in the European Mediterranean

• Main Authors: Katie Hogg, Pedro Noguera-Méndez, María Semitiel-García, María Giménez-Casalduero
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: PAGEPress Publications 2013-11-01
• Series: Advances in Oceanography and Limnology
• Subjects: marine protected areas, co-management, participation, social capital, governance
• Online Access: http://pagepressjournals.org/index.php/aiol/article/view/5346
• ISSN: 1947-5721; 1947-573X

Marine protected areas (MPAs) raise serious challenges in terms of their governance. By applying a participatory approach co-management can help in overcoming many of the deficiencies of top-down management processes. Yet, despite benefits of co-management, it is still found to be the exception in the Mediterranean. This paper provides a review of co-management and the prospects for decentralisation in the European Mediterranean. The role of social capital (SC) in co-management is discussed and a framework for SC and participation to attain effective co-management is proposed.