Article of the Month - 
	  September 2006
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  	    Issues in the Governance of Marine Spaces
	Dr. Michael SUTHERLAND and Dr. Sue NICHOLS, Canada
    
      
        
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          Michael Sutherland  | 
          
           
            
          Sue Nichols  | 
         
       
     
    
      
      This article in 
	.pdf-format 
    
      1) This paper is the introduction chapter of FIG publication 
	  “Administering Marine Spaces: International issues”. This publication is 
	  result of FIG Commissions 4 & 7 Working Group 4.3. FIG publication 36, 
	  Copenhagen 2006, ISBN 87-90907-55-8. 
    Abstract
    Good governance is based on recognition of the interests of 
	all stakeholders and inclusion of their interests where possible. Interests 
	can be expressed in a variety of ways, for example: sovereignty, 
	jurisdiction, administration, ownership (title), lease, license, permit, 
	quota, customary rights, aboriginal rights, collective rights, community 
	rights, littoral rights, public rights, rights of use, and public good. 
	Coastal states are challenged with managing the multidimensional tapestry of 
	these interests (and perhaps others) in the coast and offshore. Over the 
	next few decades those responsible for marine policy and administration have 
	been challenged with trying to understand this tapestry and communicating it 
	to the various decision makers and stakeholders. However, addressing the 
	complexities associated with these interests solely from a boundary 
	delimitation perspective does not necessarily improve the governance of 
	marine spaces. This paper explores a number of legal, technical, and 
	stakeholder issues related to governing marine spaces.  
    1. INTRODUCTION 
    The governance of any geographical area, including marine 
	spaces, is actually the management of stakeholder relationships with regard 
	to spatial-temporal resource use in the pursuit of many sanctioned economic, 
	social, political, and environmental objectives. Good governance is based on 
	recognition of the interests of all stakeholders, and inclusion whenever 
	possible. Governance involves setting priorities that may establish 
	hierarchies of interests, but the basis is recognition of what is excluded, 
	as well as what is given priority in certain situations.  
    These interests can be expressed in a variety of ways, for 
	example: sovereignty, jurisdiction, administration, ownership (title), 
	lease, license, permit, quota, customary rights, aboriginal rights, 
	collective rights, community rights, littoral rights, public rights, rights 
	of use, and public good. One feature of being a coastal state is that there 
	is a multidimensional tapestry of these interests (and perhaps others) in 
	the coast and offshore. Marine administrators are challenged with trying to 
	understand and communicate this to the various decision makers and 
	stakeholders.  
    A marine cadastre, or other marine information management 
	system, serves to meet the information requirements for governance of marine 
	spaces by facilitating the management of thematic information and their 
	boundaries and limits. In past research we initially assumed that spatial 
	delimitation of interests would help clarify resource management and use 
	regime in marine spaces. What was learned from our research was that this 
	approach was very limited and probably impossible. The main reason is that 
	there are numerous marine boundaries, and four dimensions at least had to be 
	considered. Drawing lines on charts was often not feasible, legally valid 
	nor of value. The legal profession taught us that there were a myriad of 
	boundaries: at least one if not more for every resource and every resource 
	use. Starting from the boundary perspective was a nonstarter.  
    Effective governance of marine spaces requires that a number 
	of things need to be considered including: 
    
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the need for inclusion;  
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the need to change our concepts of a cadastre to deal with 
	  multiple interests for the same space at the same time;  
      - 
      
the difficulties in identifying, yet including, all the 
	  stakeholders;  
      - 
      
the importance of information, not necessarily precise 
	  boundary delimitation;  
      - 
      
the need to develop tools better than the traditional 
	  cadastre to govern marine spaces effectively.   
     
    To address the listed considerations, this chapter will 
	explore the governance of marine spaces by focusing on a number of 
	stakeholder issues, legal issues, and technical issues. However what is 
	meant by governance will first be discussed.  
    2. GOVERNANCE 
    The governance of marine spaces is the management of 
	stakeholder activities in these spaces. To optimize this management and to 
	address stakeholder issues requires that effective governance frameworks be 
	in place. Collaborative, cooperative, and integrative governance are 
	improved frameworks for dealing with stakeholder issues. Traditional 
	governance models have been based on a management science approach where the 
	premise is that leadership of organizations (public, private or civic) is 
	strong, and have good understanding of their environment (future trends, 
	rules of the game, and the organization's goals) [Paquet, 1999]. As such, 
	the leaders provide direction for the groups they represent.  
    A hierarchical governance model is one such example. This 
	form of governance, usually practiced by the state or some other governing 
	authority, is usually enacted through policies, laws and regulations 
	[Hoogsteden, Robertson and Benwell, 1999; Paquet, 1999; Savoie 1999]. This 
	hierarchical model assumes a top-down approach is always best, whereas 
	subsidiarity (i.e., the principle based on the assumption that individuals 
	are better able to take care of themselves than any third party) might 
	alternatively provide a better solution in some circumstances. Subsidiarity 
	would support, for instance, the devolution of responsibilities to citizens 
	by provincial/state authority (or to states/provinces by federal authority) 
	as much as possible unless they were unable to manage [Rosell, 1999; 
	Chiarelli, Dammeyer and Munter, 1999].  
    The management science approach also assumes that 
	organizations are operating in "a world of deterministic, well-behaved 
	mechanical processes" [Paquet, 1999]. However, life is full of paradoxes, 
	contradictions, and surprises [Handy, 1996], so the management science 
	approach has been inadequate, continually faced with situations that are 
	ill-defined, uncertain, unstable, or unreliable. As a result of the failure 
	of the management science approach to governance to adequately handle all 
	the complexities of life, other models have been proffered. These models are 
	based on cooperation, coordination, collaboration, integration or other 
	principles of shared responsibilities. The similarities or overlaps in the 
	definitions of these models again underscore the absence of general 
	principles to help guide in the design of good governance structures 
	[Paquet, 1999]. Among these models are: 
    
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Distributed governance which is embedded in a set of 
	  organizations and institutions built on market forces, the state, and 
	  civil society, and which deprives the leadership of the exercise of 
	  monopoly in the direction of the organization. [Paquet, 1999; Meltzer, 
	  2000];  
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Co-governance (e.g. practiced on a state-civic level) that 
	  comprises mutual organization by two or more involved groups [Charette and 
	  Graham, 1999; Hoogsteden, Robertson and Benwell, 1999];  
      - 
      
Triangle-wide governance that consists of the integration 
	  of the three families of institutions (economy, society and polity) into a 
	  sort of neural network [Paquet, 1999; Meltzer, 2000];  
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Transversal and meso-innovation systems of governance that 
	  employ “consensus and inducement-oriented systems to achieve coordination 
	  among network players” [Paquet, 1999];   
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Renaissance-style independency forms of governance that 
	  utilize informal terms, and the devolution and decentralization of 
	  decision-making to achieve its objectives [Paquet, 2000].   
     
    These models are by nature subversive to those 
	organizational structures based on traditional models of governance. They 
	challenge the view that an "omnipresent person or group has monopoly on 
	useful knowledge and can govern top down" [Paquet, 2000].  
    There are many definitions of governance. Some of these 
	include:  
    
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“The process whereby a society, polity, economy, or 
	  organization (private, public or civic) steers itself as it pursues its 
	  objectives” [Centre on Governance, 2000; Paquet, 1994; Paquet, 1997; 
	  Rosell, 1999].  
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“The process of decision-making with a view to managing 
	  change in order to promote people's wellbeing” [Kyriakou and Di Pietro, 
	  2000].  
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“The set of processes and traditions which determine how a 
	  society steers itself thereby according citizens a voice on issues of 
	  public concern, and how decisions are made on these issues” [Meltzer, 
	  2000].  
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“The guidance of national systems shared by ensembles of 
	  organizations rooted in the three sectors (economy, polity, civil society 
	  and community)” [deBlios and Paquet, 1998].  
      - 
      
The means by which local, regional, national and 
	  international communities organize themselves and subsequently respond to 
	  issues of interest to members of those communities. It involves leadership 
	  on the part of government and the use of policy and programs to control 
	  and influence activities within communities [Manning, 1998].   
     
    A number of points essential to governance are alluded to in 
	the above definitions. Firstly, governance is all encompassing, touching 
	virtually every area of human existence. Secondly, governance can take many 
	forms, and takes place on many levels. This is supported by Masson and 
	Farlinger [2000]. Each form of governance makes use of facilitative 
	processes, mechanisms and systems to pursue goals. Thirdly, governance is 
	about the provision of direction towards the achievement of objectives. The 
	direction taken must take cognizance of the interests, rights, 
	responsibilities, and differences among all stakeholders.  
    3. STAKEHOLDER ISSUES 
    Practical problems in governance include: 
     
    
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how identify who the stakeholders are;  
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how to engage them effectively; and  
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how to manage their input, including keeping the dialogue 
	  going over time.
        
     
    This can be summarized as defining the governance process in 
	terms of liaising, listening, learning, and leading. Too often agencies 
	responsible for programs and projects focus only on the last step.  
    3.1 Stakeholder identification   
    One of the greatest limitations in most marine programs and 
	projects is having a narrow approach to stakeholder participation. This is 
	often driven by issues such as: time constraints, lack of knowledge, single 
	issue focus, or governmental silos. It is particularly true in coastal 
	region were there may be jurisdictional uncertainty, overlaps, and gaps. 
	However, the top down approach, while perhaps being the easiest to manage, 
	is also the least likely to have sustainable results. Spending time at the 
	local level in the initial stages of marine activities (e.g., through 
	workshops and town hall meetings) can help to identify the breadth of 
	stakeholders and their interests.  
    3.2 Effective Stakeholder Engagement   
    Effective consultation is not just “this is what we are 
	going to do for you.” Frequently, information meetings allow question 
	periods but do not include processes for taking and putting input to use. A 
	variety of means can be used to obtain input including web portals. The 
	information provided for consultation also has to have the right message and 
	medium for the variety of different audiences.  
    3.3 Managing Stakeholder Input   
    Once input is obtained, consensus building strategies are 
	required to establish priorities and identify appropriate solutions. 
	Frequently the priorities are different at the local, regional, and national 
	level. Whoever is leading also has to listen and learn if the differences 
	are to be accommodated or resolved. And this is an on-going process that 
	will effect the life of the governance activity.  
    The above may seem simplistic, but ignoring these issues can 
	undermine the best intentioned activities. Some examples in Canada include:
     
    
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Significant delays in establishing a Marine Protected Area 
	  (MPA) because a First Nation (aboriginal) group was excluded in the 
	  initial discussions: The MPA program is led by the federal government 
	  which has taken nearly ten years to recognize and understand the 
	  importance of provincial, municipal, and private interests [Leroy, 2002].  
	     
      - 
      
Ineffectiveness of a provincial policy to limit coastal 
	  development because of lack of trust at the local level despite numerous 
	  “information” meetings: The result was that policy implementation was 
	  delayed for 10 years and inappropriate construction increased in the 
	  meantime to avoid the expected regulations [Nichols, et al., 2006].  
	     
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Lack of comprehensive coastal zone management programs due 
	  to uncertainty and fragmentation in jurisdiction, administration, 
	  ownership, and use of coastal resources: There are not well established 
	  arrangements for collaboration among all of the government agencies at the 
	  several levels involved and each activity causes a new process of 
	  stakeholder identification and consultation. From an information 
	  perspective this has led to a lack of consistent data about interests and 
	  boundaries along the coast.   
     
    4. LEGAL ISSUES 
    Another way of viewing marine governance is through an 
	analysis of governance functions that link governance to the law and 
	information. These include the following (Nichols, Monahan and Sutherland, 
	2000):  
    
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allocation of resource ownership, control, stewardship and 
	  use within society;   
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regulation of resources and resource use (e.g., 
	  environmental protection, development and exploitation, rights to economic 
	  and social benefits); 
       
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monitoring and enforcement of the various interests; 
       
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adjudication of disputes, including inclusive processes; 
       
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management of spatial (geographically referenced) and 
	  other types of information to support all of the above functions.   
     
    This approach highlights the role of the legal frameworks 
	within each nation in managing marine space. These frameworks are generally 
	multi-layered ranging from the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention 
	(UNCLOS), international customary law, and international treaties to 
	national, state, and local level laws derived from tradition, legislation, 
	and the courts.  
    4.1 The Legal Complexity of Interests in Marine Space   
    The United Nations Law of the Sea Convention [UN, 1982] 
	establishes a framework for national and international governance by, among 
	other provisions, establishing limits of national resource use and control. 
	However, each nation must also have a set of procedures for allocating 
	resources within these zones. In many cases, this depends on tradition and 
	legal frameworks. These frameworks may be defined by the local, regional 
	(provincial/state) and/or national legal systems and constitutions. Even 
	when only government interests are considered, the resulting marine/coastal 
	legal arrangements are usually complex.  
    To illustrate this complexity, consider the following terms 
	often used interchangeably or inappropriately [Cockburn and Nichols, 2002]:
     
    
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Sovereignty: supreme rights of ownership; entities 
	  holding sovereign rights reserve the right to impose their will on others 
	  and to usurp the ownership rights of others (e.g. by expropriation). In 
	  international law, to be sovereign means that a state “must be able to 
	  exercise jurisdiction, over a determinate tract of territory,...and have 
	  legally independent powers of government, administration and disposition 
	  over that territory.” [Walker, D, 1980].  
	     
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Legislative Jurisdiction: “[t]he sphere of 
	  authority of a legislative body to enact laws and to conduct all business 
	  incidental to its law-making function.” [Black, 1979] or that aspect of 
	  power where rules (i.e. rights, responsibilities and restrictions) of 
	  social, cultural, economic and political behavior are defined, and wherein 
	  it is determined how and when those rules are applied and enforced.  
	     
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Administrative Authority: “[t]he power of an agency 
	  or its head to carry out the terms of the law creating the agency as well 
	  as to make regulations for the conduct of business before the agency; 
	  distinguishable from legislative authority to make laws.” [Black, 1979]. 
	  It is therefore the means by which jurisdictionally defined rules are 
	  applied and enforced.  
	     
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Title or Ownership: the means whereby the owner of 
	  the rights to the object of property has the just possession of that 
	  object (although actual possession or occupation may be by another). Where 
	  sovereign, jurisdictional, and administrative rights are normally rights 
	  vested in governments and their agencies, title may be held by different 
	  levels of government, groups, and individuals. Depending on the legal 
	  system, ‘ownership’ may be full or partial and usually consists of 
	  derivative interests (e.g., lease, use, license, mortgage).   
     
    4.2 The Specific Nature of Marine Interests   
    In theory, land and marine spaces both have this complex 
	legal regime. However, three characteristics of marine interests make the 
	complexity more apparent:  
    
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The legal frameworks are evolving rapidly and therefore 
	  can be incomplete and contain more uncertainty than on land: Although 
	  property and other related law always evolves on land, over the last 
	  century, marine legal frameworks have been changing more rapidly. Causes 
	  include:  
      
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expansion of national territories under the Law of the 
		Sea (and consequent boundary and limit delimitation issues);   
        - 
        
need to clarify intergovernmental title, jurisdiction, 
		and administration within these expanded territories;   
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rapid development of relatively new marine resource uses 
		or increasing intensity of existing uses (e.g., petroleum and mineral 
		exploitation and transportation, coastal development, recreation and 
		tourism, aquaculture and sea ranching, renewable energy production);  
        - 
        
emergence of new issues such as conservation and 
		environmental risk reduction;  
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increasing recognition of the rights of indigenous 
		groups and other groups in coastal and marine resource.  
		   
       
       
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There are virtually no rights of exclusive use or 
	  ownership in marine space: The three dimensional aspect of ‘a parcel’ is 
	  more apparent (Figure 1) than on land because rights are usually allocated 
	  for specific portions (e.g., seabed, water column) or specific activities 
	  (e.g., fishing, navigation). The interests usually coexist and even this 
	  coexistence may change over time (e.g., seasonal rights). This increases 
	  the number of stakeholders that must be considered for any marine/coastal 
	  area. It also results in myriad boundaries of jurisdiction, 
	  administration, ownership and use – in some instances, a boundary or limit 
	  for each specific resource or activity.   
     
    
      
    Figure 1: 3-Dimensional Marine Parcel 
    (From Sutherland [2005])  
    
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Interests in marine space tend to come in smaller 
	  ‘packages’: Related to the first point is the fact that the management of 
	  marine interests tends to focus on specific resources or activities rather 
	  than geographic areas. On land, for example, we package spaces as:  
      
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state land vs. private land;  
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federal land vs municipal land;  
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exclusive rights of surface ownership such as freehold, 
		which include fixtures (e.g., trees, buildings, and at least some 
		subsurface rights).  
         
       
       
     
    This fragmentation of interests is also usually reflected in 
	(or caused by) the institutional structures of government. Thus the Ministry 
	of Fisheries may administer an area of marine space for fishing and related 
	activities and the same space is subject to different regulations for 
	navigation that is regulated by the Ministry of Defense. One result is the 
	fact that information about the stakeholders, their interests, and 
	activities is widely scattered throughout government.  
    4.3 The Elusive Land-Water Interface   
    Much of marine activity is focused on the coast. Similarly, 
	the intensity of land use in many countries is greatest at the coast in 
	large part because of traditional transportation and shipping through ports. 
	The result is that the number of stakeholders, the opportunities for 
	conflict among their interests, and the value they or society places on 
	those interests is at a maximum at the coastline. This results in and is 
	affected by the following issues, among many others:  
    
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Overlaps and gaps: There are often overlaps of 
	  jurisdiction, administration, and ownership between government bodies that 
	  are primarily land based and those that are marine based (e.g., in ports 
	  where land and marine activities are intertwined). One consequence is that 
	  information about those interests may not only be fragmented but also 
	  inconsistent and incomplete;  
	     
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Complex private and public interests: Private land 
	  interests frequently extend into marine space (e.g., rights for wharf 
	  development, littoral rights associated with upland ownership, traditional 
	  rights to areas for fishing through weirs). In many cases these rights are 
	  undocumented and have been acquired through traditional use. Furthermore, 
	  these rights are not usually well understood by planners, managers, and 
	  policy makers without a water law background. An additional complexity is 
	  that there are emerging or increasing interests such as the public right 
	  to access beaches and to have environmental protection of endangered 
	  habitats. Such public interests typically clash with private interests, 
	  and in many cases neither are well defined or documented.  
	     
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Lack of appropriate information for traditional governance 
	  practices: Information about coastal interests is generally not well 
	  managed because, for example:  
      
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there are numerous government agencies involved 
		resulting in fragmented, duplicated, incomplete and inconsistent 
		datasets;  
        - 
        
historical datasets are often incomplete and out of date 
		because there was little concern until recently;   
        - 
        
no one agency (and in some cases no specific level of 
		government) has the responsibility to lead data management activities in 
		both coastal land and marine spaces.  
		   
       
       
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Boundaries and limits are not well delimited: Boundaries 
	  and limits in the coastal zone are typically made with reference to 
	  physical features, many of which are difficult to clearly define or 
	  relocate (e.g., high water, the shoreline, the normal baseline). The land 
	  water interface is ambulatory and traditionally most boundaries and limits 
	  followed the motions of that interface. Today greater emphasis is placed 
	  on ‘fixing’ these lines. This may be driven by law (e.g., nations 
	  generally declare their national baselines under the Law of the Sea at a 
	  point in time for offshore boundary delimitation); by institutional 
	  structure and practice (e.g., the municipal coastal boundaries defined on 
	  a map); or by technology (e.g., the desire to establish co-ordinates or 
	  boundaries for geographical information systems). However, for the most 
	  part, the law only delimits boundaries when, and if, an issue arises. 
	  Therefore without court decisions or specific legislation the location of 
	  many boundaries is a matter of considerable interpretation [Sutherland, 
	  2005].   
     
    5. TECHNICAL ISSUES 
    5.1 The importance of information   
    Information is an essential technical component of the 
	governance of marine spaces. Information on resources that currently exist, 
	the nature of the environment within which those resources exist, as well as 
	on the users and uses of those resources is always a requirement for 
	effective evaluation and monitoring of marine areas. Information on, for 
	example, living and non-living resources, bathymetry, spatial extents 
	(boundaries), shoreline changes, marine contaminants, seabed 
	characteristics, water quality, and property rights can all contribute to 
	the sustainable development and good governance of coastal and marine 
	resources. All of these types of information have spatial components and 
	therefore spatial information is important to the good governance of marine 
	spaces (Figure 2) [Sutherland, Wilkins and Nichols, 2002].  
      
    Figure 2: The role of spatial 
	information in governance 
    (From Nichols, Monahan and Sutherland, 2000) 
    Boundary information is one type of spatial information that 
	is essential in the management and administration of marine spaces. However 
	in some cases it may be better not to focus on boundaries, as boundary 
	uncertainties (e.g., as with federal and provincial boundary uncertainties 
	in some coastal regions in Canada) are sometimes the cause of social and 
	administrative conflicts in coastal and marine spaces. Recent governance 
	research supports the relevance of imprecise or ill-defined boundaries 
	insofar as the existence of these boundaries is not a catalyst for dispute 
	[Nichols, Monahan and Sutherland, 2000]. The precise delimitation of 
	boundaries usually become important in relation to the need to allocate 
	equitable resources perceived to be dissected by the potential boundary 
	[Hildreth and Johnson, 1983]. For example, such is the case with the 
	boundary dispute between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland [Arbitration Tribunal, 
	Nova Scotia-Newfoundland Dispute, 2002].  
    5.2 The issue of four-dimensional rights in marine spaces 
      
    When considering marine environments from a right-based 
	perspectives, one ought to consider that in one column of the marine 
	environment there are rights to the surface of the water column (e.g. 
	navigation), to the water column it self (e.g. fishing), to the seabed (e.g. 
	fishing and mineral resources), and to the subsoil (e.g. mineral resources). 
	The very nature of the marine environment requires that rights be considered 
	in terms of at least three dimensions, in snapshot, and more practically in 
	four dimensions considering that rights to marine spaces change over time. 
	Technically, therefore, tools developed to manage and administer rights to 
	marine spaces should consider the inherent multidimensional nature of those 
	rights [Ng’ang’a et al, 2004].  
    5.3 Dealing with multiple interests for the same space at 
	the same time   
    Concepts such as the marine cadastre or marine 
	administration systems have been discussed in many academic papers as 
	technical means for aiding in the management and administration of rights in 
	marine spaces. Any technical tool such as a marine cadastre or marine 
	administration system is faced with the challenges of not only dealing with 
	the multidimensionality of rights to marine spaces but also with the fact 
	that in many international jurisdictions there is the added complexity of 
	overlapping interests (e.g., jurisdictional rights, administrative rights, 
	title, leases, customary rights, aboriginal rights, public rights, etc.). 
	The design of marine information systems dealing with the management of 
	rights information ought to take the possibility of overlapping and 
	co-existing rights into consideration [Ng’ang’a et al, 2004].  
    5.4 Fitting into larger ‘information’ initiatives   
    The management of marine spatial information is an asset to 
	the efficient management of marine resources, and can in many instances help 
	to avoid minimize conflict among the many stakeholders. Recognizing this, 
	and the fact that no one stakeholder possesses all necessary information, 
	many jurisdictions have begun initiatives to better manage coastal and 
	marine spatial information and to apply information technology and concepts 
	to the management of marine spatial information [Ng’ang’a et al, 2004; 
	Nichols, Monahan and Sutherland, 2000].  
    In order to coordinate the dissemination of marine spatial 
	data that can support good governance of coastal and marine spaces, marine 
	geospatial data infrastructure initiatives are underway in many parts of the 
	world. Initiatives such as Canada’s Marine Geospatial Data Infrastructure 
	(MGDI) and the U.S. Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) are considering 
	the information and other infrastructure components necessary to provide 
	geographically dispersed stakeholders with spatial data to support 
	governance decision-making. Regional bodies such as the Permanent Committee 
	on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific (PCGIAP) are also taking 
	steps to implement marine geospatial infrastructures.  
    The components of any marine geospatial data infrastructure 
	are expected to include key spatial data, computer network infrastructures, 
	spatial data management software and other software, data- and other 
	standards, metadata, stakeholders, and possibly a spatial data 
	clearinghouse. Table 1 shows spatial data infrastructures as part of a 
	marine information system from a property rights perspective.  
    Table 1: Components of a Marine 
	Information System from a Property Rights Perspective 
    (After Sutherland, 2005)  
      
    5.5 Issues in defining coastline boundaries   
    Tidal boundaries along coasts in North America are defined 
	in law either by the “intersection of a specific tidal datum with the shore” 
	or by “tide marks left on the shore by the receding waters of a particular 
	stage of tide” [Nichols, 1983]. Internationally this is more or less true. 
	Because tidal datums are related to specific sea levels and therefore 
	subject to temporal and spatial variations, and because the marks left by 
	tidal actions on shores also vary with the changes in sea level and tides, 
	boundaries defined by these methods are sometimes subject to ambiguous 
	positioning in 3-dimensional space.  
    Constant tidal action against the shore can cause the 
	deposit of material on the shore or the erosion of shore material and 
	therefore the physical configurations of shorelines are subject to constant 
	change [Flushman, 2002; Lamden and de Rijcke, 1985; Nichols, 1983]. This 
	means that resurveys are sometimes necessary in order to keep coastal 
	boundary information up to date. These and other factors are issues in 
	defining coastline boundaries and therefore indirectly affect the governance 
	of marine spaces since, for example, the implementation of jurisdictional 
	and administrative rules and regulations often depend upon defined 
	boundaries.  
    5.6 Science and Local Knowledge   
    As on land, traditional or local knowledge can play an 
	important role in marine governance. Unfortunately the value of local 
	knowledge is not always appreciated or is ignored because: it is not 
	standardized; it is not considered ‘objective’; or it is difficult to 
	obtain. However science has only begun to give a picture of the vast ocean 
	territory, even near the coast. We have snapshots and sporadic data, which 
	like lead line depth measurements, leave much to be discovered and 
	understood. Local knowledge is an asset not to be underestimated in filling 
	in those gaps, validating the scientific sample and theories, or in 
	understanding the interconnection within ecosystems. Fishers along the East 
	and West Atlantic coasts, for example, could have advised the scientists who 
	helped governments who established fishing quotas in the 1970s-1990s that 
	many north Atlantic the fish stocks were declining, long before the science 
	driven government policies endangered the fishing resources.  
    6. DISCUSSION 
    Marine cadastres and other marine administration information 
	systems have been proposed as technical solutions to the management of 
	information about interests in marine resources in support of coastal and 
	ocean governance. It is easier to design such systems to be useful for 
	managing information on single activities or resource use (e.g., petroleum 
	leases) occurring in marine spaces. However, in order to be of maximum 
	benefit to the governance of marine spaces these information systems will 
	have to be able to manage and visualize information on multiple marine 
	resource interests that overlap in 3-dimensional space, and time. These 
	systems should also function in an environment of efficient and effective 
	governance and legal frameworks, and optimal institutional arrangements that 
	meet the often diverse needs of identified and engaged stakeholders. 
	Therefore, we would like to propose that activities affecting the rights and 
	responsibilities, including information management, need to consider the 
	following:  
    
      - 
      
A multidisciplinary approach is needed in the governance 
	  of marine spaces. Surveyors, lawyers, planners, and resource managers all 
	  understand part of the picture. To be complete or even useful, any 
	  information system to support marine governance needs to reflect the 
	  variety of interests, their complexity, and the unique aspects of marine 
	  interests.
        
      - 
      
The emphasis should not necessarily on precise boundary 
	  delimitation. Many of the boundaries and limits are undefined or 
	  un-delimited until an issue arises. Others are fuzzy or moveable by nature 
	  and best serve the interest of stakeholders that way.   
      - 
      
The sheer number of overlapping and coexisting interests 
	  in four dimensional space means that new approaches to presenting 
	  appropriate information are needed. Rather than imposing a land-based 
	  system (i.e., grids, straight lines and co-ordinates), the focus should be 
	  on helping stakeholders and decision makers visualize the complexity and 
	  multiplicity of interests.   
      - 
      
Co-management arrangements may be a better option than 
	  management of zones and geographical areas defined by boundaries if 
	  governance is to be inclusive and recognize all interests. Co-management 
	  (e.g., networking of information sources) will also be necessary in 
	  developing truly useful information systems, rather than a single agency 
	  approach.   
     
    The oceans provide an opportunity to not make the same 
	mistakes we have made in land resource management and land information 
	systems. Perhaps what we can create for marine space can help to improve our 
	governance and information systems on land.  
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    BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
    Dr. Michael Sutherland is a graduate in land 
	information management from the Department of Geodesy and Geomatics 
	Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Canada. He is currently engaged in 
	marine environment-related research activities at the School of Management, 
	University of Ottawa and Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, 
	Canada. He lectures part-time at Ryerson University, Canada. Michael is a 
	member of the Canadian Institute of Geomatics, and is Chair of the 
	International Federation of Surveyor’s Working Group 4.3, Commission 4 
	(hydrography, coastal zone management, ocean governance, and marine 
	cadastre).  
    Dr. Sue Nichols is a Professor in Land Administration 
	and Property Studies at the University of New Brunswick and has conducted 
	research on tidal and marine boundaries for over 20 years. Sue is a 
	Past-President of the Canadian Institute of Geomatics and has been on the 
	Advisory Committee for the Canadian Minister of Natural Resources. She 
	engaged in research as Project Leader on a multi-year, interdisciplinary 
	research project on "Good Governance of Canada's Oceans: The Use and Value 
	of Marine Boundary Information" that included examination of boundary 
	uncertainty, marine cadastre, and other issues related to ocean governance.
     
    CONTACTS 
    Michael Sutherland, Ph.D. 
    School of Management 
    Vanier Hall, Box 141 
    University of Ottawa 
    136 Jean-Jacques Lussier Privée 
    Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5 
    Tel. + 1 613 562-5800 ext. 4920 
    Email: 
    michael.d.sutherland@unb.ca   
    Sue Nichols 
    Professor and Director of Graduate Studies 
    Dept. of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering (GGE) 
    University of New Brunswick 
    Fredericton, NB 
    Canada E3B 5A3 
    Tel: + 1 506-453-5141 
    Fax: + 1 506-453-4943 
    E-mail: nichols@unb.ca   
    
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