FISHERIES AFANOD ISSN 2 AQUACULTURE 07 0 TECHNICAL -7 0 PAPER 10 604 Marine spatial planning for enhanced fisheries and aquaculture sustainability Its application in the Near East Cover illustration by Emanuela D’Antoni. This illustration aims to convey the main marine activities for inclusion in marine spatial planning for the Near East Marine spatial planning FAO FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE for enhanced fisheries and TECHNICAL PAPER aquaculture sustainability 604 Its application in the Near East by Geoffery J. Meaden FAO Consultant José Aguilar-Manjarrez Aquaculture Officer Aquaculture Branch FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome, Italy Richard Anthony Corner FAO Consultant Anne Marie O’Hagan FAO Consultant and Francesco Cardia FAO Project Manager Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Riyadh, Saudi Arabia FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome, 2016 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-109380-1 © FAO, 2016 FAO encourages the use, reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Except where otherwise indicated, material may be copied, downloaded and printed for private study, research and teaching purposes, or for use in non-commercial products or services, provided that appropriate acknowledgement of FAO as the source and copyright holder is given and that FAO’s endorsement of users’ views, products or services is not implied in any way. All requests for translation and adaptation rights, and for resale and other commercial use rights should be made via www.fao.org/contact-us/licence-request or addressed to [email protected]. FAO information products are available on the FAO website (www.fao.org/ publications) and can be purchased through [email protected]. iii Preparation of this document This technical paper provides national fisheries and aquaculture sector policy- makers and senior managers in the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) region with an overview of procedures involved in marine spatial planning (MSP). It provides support for RECOFI members to plan and develop more sustainable fisheries and aquaculture sectors through a more unified approach to spatial planning and management of marine environments in the context of multiple users and uses. This document will also be of relevance to aquaculture operators, industry organi- zations, non-governmental organizations and other groups interested in understand- ing MSP. This is particularly relevant given their respective influence and impact in the development of master plans, regulations and the management of aquatic resources. While of specific relevance to the RECOFI group of countries, this paper is also more generally relevant internationally, especially for those embarking on the use of spatial planning for fisheries and aquaculture. The need for this technical paper derives from various meetings of RECOFI since 2009, and especially from the “Report of the Regional Technical Workshop on Spatial Planning Development Programme for Marine Capture Fisheries and Aquaculture”, which was held in Cairo, Egypt, in November 2012 (FAO/Regional Commission for Fisheries, 2013). At this meeting, the use of MSP to support aquaculture and fisheries development was highly recommended, being considered as one of the essential requirements for ensuring sustainable marine capture fisheries and aquaculture development in the RECOFI region. This technical paper responds to the needs of RECOFI member countries by providing a framework for marine spatial planning. This document has been developed by the authors following an analysis of the best available information on MSP, including successful and less successful applications globally. The resulting process, which is intended to lead to the development, implementation, review and analysis of marine spatial plans for the RECOFI region, is modified to reflect the specific nature of the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, thereby providing an important RECOFI resource. The key to successful implementation of the MSP process will be to identify appropriate government agencies within the RECOFI region that are willing to share data and that will cooperate productively by developing both national and regional marine spatial plans, thereby integrating the environmental, social, economic and governance objectives for sustainable development in the RECOFI region. iv Abstract This document provides a clear and comprehensive account for the application of marine spatial planning (MSP) within the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) region, focused predominantly on its application for fisheries and aquaculture. MSP provides a step-by-step approach to balance the uses and users of the marine environment with a view to providing a coordinated system that results in the development of a marine spatial plan, which defines the strategic, forward-looking planning for the regulation, zoning, management, protection and sustainability of the marine environment. It applies the ecosystem approach and the allocation of space, addressing the multiple, cumulative and potentially conflicting uses of the sea. In order for fisheries and aquaculture prospects to be improved in the Gulf, a number of regional technical workshops were held under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with RECOFI countries. As an outcome of these workshops, it was clear that spatial planning would be an ideal approach to aid development, but that for the long-term success and sustainability of all Gulf activities and the application of the ecosystem approach, a specific RECOFI MSP framework should be developed. The adoption of MSP is directed more specifically towards the Gulf waters, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea of the RECOFI countries. Identification of the range of users and activities pursued here necessitates an urgent need for cooperation among these groups in order to best coordinate their respective long-term futures. Implementation of MSP is not a trivial undertaking. MSP can best function if an ordered set of procedures (or steps) are followed, and this paper carefully documents these procedures, giving illustrations and best practices where necessary, from other contexts where MSP has been successful. The MSP framework used here is based upon work carried out by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Although the steps recommend specific procedures, the MSP framework is highly flexible and can be adapted to suit specific requirements, the scale of the marine area being evaluated and the objectives to be achieved. The need for contributors at the regional, national and local levels to work cooperatively during MSP development and for such development to be undertaken with stakeholder engagement and participation is emphasized throughout. The document concludes by providing three annexes. The first includes the main recommendations concerning the adoption of marine spatial planning taken from the RECOFI (FAO) Cairo workshop in 2012. The second describes the types of marine activities that must be considered, their relative importance to the national economy and to the sustainability of the marine environment. The third annex provides a comprehensive listing of additional information about MSP, including worldwide examples where MSP has been applied under varied local conditions at highly variable geographic scales. Meaden, G.J., Aguilar-Manjarrez, J., Corner, R.A., O’Hagan, A.M. & Cardia, F. 2016. Marine spatial planning for enhanced fisheries and aquaculture sustainability – its application in the Near East. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 604. Rome, FAO. v Contents Preparation of this document iii Abstract iv Contents v List of tables vii List of figures vii List of boxes vii Acknowledgements viii Abbreviations and acronyms ix Foreword x 1. Introduction 1 2. The importance of marine spatial planning in the RECOFI area 5 2.1 What is marine spatial planning? 5 2.2 Why an MSP approach is important for RECOFI waters 12 2.2.1 Introduction 12 2.2.2 Complex and unique marine systems 12 2.2.3 Improving sensitive habitats 13 2.2.4 Better fisheries management 14 2.2.5 Good aquaculture management 14 2.2.6 Understanding the effects of climate change 14 2.2.7 Improved and efficient data collection 15 2.2.8 Managing complex, multistakeholder users and uses 16 2.2.9 Improved cooperative management and improved efficiency 17 2.2.10 Improved governance of marine space 18 2.2.11 Concluding – the importance of MSP 18 3. Steps to implement marine spatial planning 19 Step 1: Identifying the need and establishing authority 19 Step 2: Defining a marine spatial planning framework 21 Step 3: Identifying and organizing stakeholders 27 Step 4: Gathering data and information 30 Step 5: Analysing data and marine information 34 Step 6: Defining and evaluating future options 35 Step 7: Preparing the marine spatial plan, including zoning 37 Step 8: Implementing and enforcing the MSP 42 Step 9: Monitoring, evaluation and review, and communication of results 43 Step 10: Adapting and updating the marine spatial management process 45 4. Case study of marine spatial planning – Saudi Arabia 49 4.1 Introduction and background 49 4.2 A step-by-step approach to MSP adoption for Saudi Arabia 50 5. Conclusions 61 6. References 63 vi Annex 1: Recommendations concerning the adoption of marine spatial planning taken from the RECOFI (FAO) Cairo workshop in 2012 67 Annex 2: Main marine activities to be included in marine spatial planning for Saudi Arabia 71 Annex 3: Information sources on marine spatial planning 75 vii List of tables Table 1 General issues and opportunities for improvement through marine spatial planning within the Gulf (RECOFI) area 10 Table 2 Examples of aims and objectives for a marine spatial plan 22 Table 3 Important roles and skills of MSP practitioners 24 Table 4 The functional roles required from stakeholders 29 Table 5 Criteria for identifying ecologically or biologically significant marine areas 31 Table 6 Suggested conflict matrix for marine spatial planning 40 Table 7 Performance monitoring and evaluation of marine spatial planning 45 Table 8 Ministries, departments and agencies having some control over marine space in Saudi Arabia 52 List of figures Figure 1 RECOFI area of competence and national waters 13 Figure 2 Schematic diagram showing progression and linkages in MSP implementation 20 Figure 3 Framework for managing petroleum activities in northern Norwegian waters. 36 Figure 4 Shipping traffic density in the western Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the United States of America 41 Figure 5 Map of a northern section of the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia to show potential for marine-based aquaculture 56 List of boxes Box 1 Main users and uses of the RECOFI marine space 16 Box 2 Actions required to develop a work plan 27 Box 3 Reasons for involving stakeholders in marine spatial planning 28 Box 4 Key aspects of the marine spatial plan 38 Box 5 The main purposes of zoning in marine spatial plans 39 Box 6 Factors important to MSP programme monitoring and review 44 Box 7 E xamples of MSP adaptations from Australia, United States of America and the Netherlands 46 Box 8 A useful reminder for defining future options (Step 6) 57 Box 9 S trengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis of major MSP considerations 62 Box 10 Marine spatial planning – key messages 63 viii Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge the Ministry of Environment Water and Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the FAO-KSA Technical Cooperation Programme and the FAO project “Strengthening and supporting further development of aquaculture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” (Project UTF/SAU/048/SAU), who provided some of the financial support to prepare this document. The authors would also like to acknowledge the reviewers for many valuable comments. Specifically D. Currie (FAO, Subregional Office for the Gulf Cooperation Council States and Yemen, Abu Dhabi) and J. Saunders (EmapsiteTM, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). Thanks are due to many colleagues who kindly provided data or links to data, copies of their papers, articles and technical reports for review; with special thanks to H. Thomas (UNEP-WCMC, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) and J. Barbière (UNESCO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, France). Thanks also go to M. Giannini (FAO consultant, Rome, Italy) who proofread the document, M. Guyonnet (FAO Statistics and Information Team, Rome, Italy) who supervised its publication, and K. Ivens (FAO consultant, Rome, Italy) who provided document layout support.