The Governance of Multi-Use Platforms at Sea for Energy Production and Aquaculture: Challenges for Policy Makers in European Seas
Journal article, 2016
European seas are encountering an upsurge in competing marine activities and infrastructures. Traditional exploitation such as fisheries, tourism, transportation, and oil production are accompanied by new sustainable economic activities such as offshore windfarms, aquaculture, and tidal and wave energy. One proposed solution to overcome possible competing claims at sea lies in combining these economic activities as part of Multi-Use Platforms at Sea (MUPS). MUPS can be understood as areas at sea, designated for a combination of activities, either completely integrated in a platform or in shared marine space. MUPS can potentially benefit from each other in terms of infrastructure, maintenance, etc. Developing MUPS in the marine environment demands adequate governance. In this article, we investigate four European sites to find out how governance arrangements may facilitate or complicate MUPs. In particular, we apply a framework specifying policy, economic, social, technical, environmental, and legal (PESTEL) factors to explore governance arrangements in four case study sites in different sea basins around Europe ( the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, and the Baltic Sea). The article concludes with policy recommendations on a governance regime for facilitating the development of MUPS in the future.
fish
multi-use platforms
marine governance
aquaculture
energy production
offshore
governance
PESTEL
Author
M. Stuiver
Wageningen University and Research Centre
K. Soma
LEI Wageningen UR
P. Koundouri
Athens University of Economics and Business
London School of Economics and Political Science
International Centre for Research on the Environment and the Economy
S. van den Burg
LEI Wageningen UR
A. Gerritsen
Wageningen University and Research Centre
T. Harkamp
Musholm A/S ReersøHavn
N. Dalsgaard
Musholm A/S ReersøHavn
F. Zagonari
Alma Mater Studiorum Universita di Bologna
R. Guanche
Universidad de Cantabria
J. J. Schouten
Deltares
S. Hommes
Deltares
A. Giannouli
Athens University of Economics and Business
International Centre for Research on the Environment and the Economy
T. Soderqvist
Enveco Environmental Economics Consultancy Ltd.
Lars Rosen
Chalmers, Civil and Environmental Engineering, GeoEngineering
Rita Coelho Steiger Garção
Chalmers, Civil and Environmental Engineering, GeoEngineering
Jenny Norrman
Chalmers, Civil and Environmental Engineering, GeoEngineering
C. Rockmann
Wageningen University and Research Centre
M. de Bel
Deltares
B. Zanuttigh
Alma Mater Studiorum Universita di Bologna
O. Petersen
DHI Water - Environment - Health
F. Mohlenberg
DHI Water - Environment - Health
Sustainability
2071-1050 (ISSN)
Vol. 8 4 333Innovative Multi-purpose off-shore platforms: planning, Design and operation (MERMAID)
European Commission (FP7) (EC/FP7/288710), 2012-01-01 -- 2015-12-31.
Driving Forces
Sustainable development
Subject Categories (SSIF 2011)
Environmental Management
Other Social Sciences not elsewhere specified
DOI
10.3390/su8040333