Novel approach to management of the marine environment
Human activities can have a profound and long-lasting effect on marine ecosystems. A move from fragmented and ineffective management of these activities towards an integrated approach, in line with EU directives, is vital to prevent irreversible harm to these environments. The EU-funded ODEMM (Options for delivering ecosystem-based marine management) project set out to develop marine ecosystem management options aligned with the aims of several EU strategies, including the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the Habitats Directive (HD). ODEMM delivered various tools and methods to perform evaluations and assist in making decisions that promote sustainable use of the marine environment. These valuable resources enable key actors to carry out ecosystem-based management (EBM). Specifically, they can identify environmental priorities and possible management options to deal with such priorities. This allows stakeholders to examine ecological effectiveness, the broader outcomes of management options on ecosystem services (such as efficiency, costs and benefits, and governance complexity), and difficulties arising from implementation. The ODEMM approach also provides frameworks for better governance models in order to optimally carry out EBM in different regional settings. Using project results, stakeholder feedback and lessons learnt as a basis, project partners developed a 10-step roadmap for the improvement and successful implementation of EBM. Strategy directives such as the MSFD and the HD were introduced to provide a goal for the sustainable management of Europe's seas. ODEMM played a key role by providing a clear vision for management and implementation to help these directives become a reality.
Keywords
Marine ecosystems, marine management, Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Habitats Directive, ecosystem-based management
