Blue Growth: A Transitions Approach to Developing Sustainable Pathways

Authors

Christina Kelly, School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University BelfastFollow
Ben McAteer, School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University BelfastFollow
Frances Fahy, Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit, Whitaker Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway, IrelandFollow
Liam Carr, Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit, Whitaker Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway, IrelandFollow
Daniel Norton, Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit, Whitaker Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway, IrelandFollow
Desiree Farrell, Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit, Whitaker Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway, IrelandFollow
Rebecca Corless, Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit, Whitaker Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway, IrelandFollow
Stephen Hynes, Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit, Whitaker Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway, IrelandFollow
Zacharoula Kyriazi, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Matosinhos, PortugalFollow
Agnès Marhadour, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Matosinhos, PortugalFollow
Regis Kalaydjian, IFREMER, FranceFollow
Wesley Flannery, School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University BelfastFollow

Document Type

Research Article

Abstract

The sustainable management of Blue Growth is an urgent issue for coastal states. Marine industries have rapidly expanded over the last two decades and this is projected to continue with the European Green Deal and post-COVID economic recovery policies. The intensification of Blue Growth could have adverse socio-ecological implications and must, therefore, be managed in terms of sustainability, natural resource boundaries, and coastal community well-being. Managing Blue Growth in a sustainable manner however, is challenging due to the longstanding inefficiencies and inertia of existing marine governance regimes. Adopting a transitions approach has been advanced as a way of steering regime change so that it is not inhibited by these persistent problems. This paper reports on four case studies that adopt transitions thinking and use the multi-level perspective as a broad analytical framework through which to understand institutional dynamics, drivers and responses within core marine sectors. Our case studies analysis reveals several significant pressures for regime change within key marine sectors. These pressures need to be addressed through the adoption of a transition management approach. By adopting this approach and engaging key stakeholders, national and EU marine governance authorities can develop sustainable Blue Growth pathways that minimize the impact of continued growth on communities and the marine environment, maximizing the implementation of sustainable practices and addressing issues such as biodiversity loss and climate change.

Recommended Citation

Kelly, Christina; McAteer, Ben; Fahy, Frances; Carr, Liam; Norton, Daniel; Farrell, Desiree; Corless, Rebecca; Hynes, Stephen; Kyriazi, Zacharoula; Marhadour, Agnès; Kalaydjian, Regis; and Flannery, Wesley (2021) "Blue Growth: A Transitions Approach to Developing Sustainable Pathways," Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics: Vol. 8: Iss. 2, Article 8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15351/2373-8456.1143

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.