Keywords
mussel-farming, decision-makers engagement, management tool, capacity building
Start Date
1-7-2012 12:00 AM
Abstract
The mussel-farming areas of Thermaikos gulf, Greece, are facing anumber of management issues, regarding environmental carrying capacity, spatialplanning, cultivation techniques, economic sustainability and institutionaladequacy. The implementation of the System Approach Framework (SAF) in themussel farming area of Chalastra, the most problematic of all, proved a positivestep in the communication effort between policy, science and society. Yet, althoughthe results of the developed management model proved a useful dialoguefacilitator between conflicting stakeholders, the policy makers were reluctant towork with the tool and explore its possibilities in practice. In order to develop amore substantial relationship between scientists and managers, a closercollaboration was pursued. Three basic, regional administrative managers, holdingresponsibility over different areas of mussel farming activity in Thermaikos gulf anda governmental administrative manager holding responsibility for the spatialplanning of the activity nationally, are participating in this effort, aiming at: a)evolving the relationship between science and policy from passively exchanginginformation to actively collaborating and b) upgrading the existing version of themanagement model by enhancing it and by expanding it to other areas thanChalastra. The goal of this work is to investigate, in a face-to-face practice, if andhow scientific tools -incorporating environmental, economic, social and institutionalcomponents- can effectively contribute in the establishment, development andimplementation of integrated coastal policies, especially in a country withunderdeveloped legal framework regarding Integrated Coastal Zone Management(ICZM).
Working together with managers to upgrade a tool for Integrated Coastal Zone Management of a Greek mussel-farming area
The mussel-farming areas of Thermaikos gulf, Greece, are facing anumber of management issues, regarding environmental carrying capacity, spatialplanning, cultivation techniques, economic sustainability and institutionaladequacy. The implementation of the System Approach Framework (SAF) in themussel farming area of Chalastra, the most problematic of all, proved a positivestep in the communication effort between policy, science and society. Yet, althoughthe results of the developed management model proved a useful dialoguefacilitator between conflicting stakeholders, the policy makers were reluctant towork with the tool and explore its possibilities in practice. In order to develop amore substantial relationship between scientists and managers, a closercollaboration was pursued. Three basic, regional administrative managers, holdingresponsibility over different areas of mussel farming activity in Thermaikos gulf anda governmental administrative manager holding responsibility for the spatialplanning of the activity nationally, are participating in this effort, aiming at: a)evolving the relationship between science and policy from passively exchanginginformation to actively collaborating and b) upgrading the existing version of themanagement model by enhancing it and by expanding it to other areas thanChalastra. The goal of this work is to investigate, in a face-to-face practice, if andhow scientific tools -incorporating environmental, economic, social and institutionalcomponents- can effectively contribute in the establishment, development andimplementation of integrated coastal policies, especially in a country withunderdeveloped legal framework regarding Integrated Coastal Zone Management(ICZM).
