Rethinking cost–benefit analysis for sustainable marine spatial planning

Ibrahim Issifu, Ilyass Dahmouni, Iria García–Lorenzo and U. Rashid Sumaila

Chapter 15 in A Research Agenda for Sustainable Ocean Governance, 2025, pp 175-184 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Marine spatial planning (MSP) is increasingly adopted worldwide to combat marine biodiversity loss and habitat degradation. Key challenges like climate change, pollution, overfishing, and illegal fishing jeopardize marine resource sustainability. This chapter provides a selected review of how economic information is used to inform MSP decisions across different jurisdictions, addressing significant gaps in the literature on integrating economic considerations into MSP. We examine lessons from MSP regimes that have effectively utilized decision support tools, offering insights to guide future implementations. Detailed case studies from Iceland and the Netherlands illustrate how economic integration in MSP fosters livelihoods, improves stock rebuilding, increases stakeholder buy-in, and supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water. We highlight two case studies using intergenerational cost–benefit analysis and social cost–benefit approaches. The implementation of intergenerational cost–benefit analysis in the Icelandic model has proven successful in stock rebuilding. Similarly, the social cost–benefit analysis employed in the MSP processes within the Dutch Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the North Sea demonstrates an effective balance between offshore wind farm deployment, sustainable fisheries, and nature conservation. These examples support incorporating economic analyses into MSP to promote sustainable ocean management.

Keywords: Marine Spatial Planning; Livelihoods; Infinity Fish; Cost–Benefit Analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035325740
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