Examining stakeholder involvement in the context of top-down marine protected area governance: the case of the Sept-Îles National Nature Reserve (Brittany, France)

TY - JOUR

T1 - Examining stakeholder involvement in the context of top-down marine protected area governance: the case of the Sept-Îles National Nature Reserve (Brittany, France)

AU - Schéré, Constance

AU - Schreckenberg, Kate

AU - Dawson, Terry

AU - Duval, Carole

AU - Alban, Frédérique

AU - Le Gentil, Éric

AU - Provost, Pascal

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO) , the Regional Directorate for the Environment, Planning, and Housing (DREAL) of Brittany and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) of the United Kingdom. The authors would like to thank, in no particular order, Karine Pothin (Réunion Marine Nature Reserve), Frédéric Cadène (Cerbère-Banyuls Marine Nature Reserve), Alain Ponsero (the Bay of Saint-Brieuc National Nature Reserve) as well as all participants for their contributions to this study. All authors read, and approved the submitted version. Funding Information: This work was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council of the United Kingdom [ ES/P000703/1 ]. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s)

PY - 2023/9/17

Y1 - 2023/9/17

N2 - Marine protected areas (MPAs) are important yet complex conservation tools that can be difficult to govern and manage. In France, the State manages protected areas with national status, but consults communities and users when making decisions. How can the governance of an MPA be improved while respecting the framework imposed on it by State regulations? This study focuses on the Sept-Îles National Nature Reserve (Réserve naturelle nationale, or RNN), located in northern Brittany (France) and renowned for its natural heritage, particularly for its seabird conservation efforts. Its management methods are provided for by the French Environmental Code, and are structured around an Advisory Committee, a Scientific Council, and a designated manager. Any change in the functioning of this committee must comply with the provisions of French law. Following a decree to extend the perimeter of the RNN, there was the opportunity to reassess the functioning of the current governance structure the RNN Sept-Îles and to define its strengths and weaknesses so that these may be addressed as the RNN grows. Various stakeholders – for the most part members of the Advisory Committee – were engaged through semi-structured interviews, guided by the principles of good governance. This study found that the current structure of the Advisory Committee is not aligned with the French Environmental Code and proposes new working groups that could offer stakeholders more opportunities for participation. There were issues of representation, communication, and power struggles within the Advisory Committee and highlights a distinct lack of young people within the governance structure of the RNN, which poses questions about its future. This is one of the first studies in France to propose an alternative governance structure involving more RNN stakeholders that can fit into the current framework imposed by State regulations.

AB - Marine protected areas (MPAs) are important yet complex conservation tools that can be difficult to govern and manage. In France, the State manages protected areas with national status, but consults communities and users when making decisions. How can the governance of an MPA be improved while respecting the framework imposed on it by State regulations? This study focuses on the Sept-Îles National Nature Reserve (Réserve naturelle nationale, or RNN), located in northern Brittany (France) and renowned for its natural heritage, particularly for its seabird conservation efforts. Its management methods are provided for by the French Environmental Code, and are structured around an Advisory Committee, a Scientific Council, and a designated manager. Any change in the functioning of this committee must comply with the provisions of French law. Following a decree to extend the perimeter of the RNN, there was the opportunity to reassess the functioning of the current governance structure the RNN Sept-Îles and to define its strengths and weaknesses so that these may be addressed as the RNN grows. Various stakeholders – for the most part members of the Advisory Committee – were engaged through semi-structured interviews, guided by the principles of good governance. This study found that the current structure of the Advisory Committee is not aligned with the French Environmental Code and proposes new working groups that could offer stakeholders more opportunities for participation. There were issues of representation, communication, and power struggles within the Advisory Committee and highlights a distinct lack of young people within the governance structure of the RNN, which poses questions about its future. This is one of the first studies in France to propose an alternative governance structure involving more RNN stakeholders that can fit into the current framework imposed by State regulations.

KW - marine protected areas

KW - marine conservation

KW - MPA governance

KW - conservation management

KW - nature reserve

KW - stakeholder engagement

KW - marine reserve

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85171575664&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.rsma.2023.103196

DO - 10.1016/j.rsma.2023.103196

M3 - Article

VL - 67

JO - Regional Studies in Marine Science

JF - Regional Studies in Marine Science

M1 - 103196

ER -