Navigating tricky trade-offs in busy seas: Insights from England for blue justice

Fortnam, M, Bastian, L, Phan, A, Marcone, O, Chaigneau, T, Kay, S, Sutcliffe, S, Turner, RA, Grantham, R, Lannin, A and Evans, L 2025 Navigating tricky trade-offs in busy seas: Insights from England for blue justice. Marine Policy, 184. 106927. 10.1016/j.marpol.2025.106927

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Abstract/Summary

The expanding blue economy intensifies competition for marine resources worldwide, necessitating trade-offs among sectors, stakeholders, and ecosystems. Our qualitative research examined how these marine trade-offs are managed in England and the implications for blue (social) justice. Through a desk review and interviews with marine managers and policy-makers we found that trade-offs are not addressed systematically, with decision-making biased by evidence gaps, limited stakeholder participation, and inconsistent reasoning. Social impacts are particularly underrepresented due to data limitations and consultation processes favouring wellresourced stakeholders. The sector-by-sector approach to trade-off decision-making generates cumulative impacts on vulnerable groups and species that often go unrecognised. While environmental compensation mechanisms exist, compensation for social losses is ad hoc. Equitable ocean governance requires moving from tacit to explicit consideration of trade-offs. This article argues this can be achieved through systematic and deliberative trade-off assessments with meaningful stakeholder participation (procedural justice) that is inclusive of diverse values and knowledges (recognition justice), establishing thresholds for determining unacceptable trade-offs (distributive justice), and mechanisms for addressing both unavoidable environmental and social losses (restorative justice).

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Additional Keywords:	Blue economy Marine policy Environmental decision-making Environmental justice and equity
Divisions:	Plymouth Marine Laboratory > Science Areas > Environmental Intelligence Plymouth Marine Laboratory > Science Areas > Marine Ecology and Society Plymouth Marine Laboratory > Science Areas > Marine System Modelling (expired) Plymouth Marine Laboratory > Science Areas > Sea and Society
Depositing User:	S Hawkins
Date made live:	23 Jan 2026 10:06
Last Modified:	23 Jan 2026 10:06
URI:	https://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/10556

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