Consultation on : Governing MPAs; a guide to getting the balance right

Dear IUCN/WCPA colleagues

Proposed manual: Governing MPAs: a guide to getting the balance right

This consultation is the result of a request from the IUCN to provide guidance on ‘good practice’ in governing MPAs. It is widely recognised that the management of MPAs involves a combination of both top-down and bottom-up approaches, but what does this mean? The proposed manual Governing MPAs: a guide to getting the balance right will be a case study driven analysis intended to provide advice to address this question in different contexts. It will be focused on the key challenge of providing for meaningful stakeholder participation in MPA decision-making processes whilst also providing for the fulfilment of strategic marine biodiversity conservation objectives. It is premised on the view that the successful governance of MPAs essentially involves addressing basic conflicts between conserving biodiversity and exploiting marine resources.

The purpose of this consulation on the MPA governance manual is to gain feedback on:-

a) the potential usefulness of such a manual and suggestions for improvement

b) potential sources of funding

c) potential contributors to the production of this manual

d) potential case studies on which the manual might draw

It is envisaged that the production of the manual will involve a workshop to consider the analyses of the case studies and the examples of good practice derived from them. The responses to this consultation will be employed in developing this workshop. The timetable for this study is strongly dependent on the responses to this consultation but at this stage it is envisaged that the final version of the manual will be launched towards the end of 2009.

An outline of the proposed manual is set out below. Please send your responses to this consultation with a particular focus on points a)-d) above to P.J.Jones@ucl.ac.uk by Fri 11^th July 2008. The responses will be summarised on this site and be used to guide the development of this manual. We look forward to hearing from you!

With thanks

Dr Peter Jones, University College London

Elizabeth De Santo, IUCN WCPA-Marine