Marine environmental management: Status and prospects

A comprehensive global marine environmental management framework does not yet exist. Comprehensiveness involves consideration of all relevent stresses on the quality of the marine environment, a recognition of the interlocking nature of the geographic or spatial dimensions, and the application of managerial elements from goal-setting to monitoring and enforcement. An analytical matrix is described in this paper to assess the comprehensiveness of local as well as global marine environmental frameworks. Progress in being made in all dimensions. At the global level, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea makes reference to the stresses, most of the elements and spatial dimensions. Regionally, many conventions and protocols are in place and some of these are quite comprehensive. At the national level, new legislation and regulations are being continually enacted. While progress is being made, implementation remains weak due to a lack of financial and human resources in these dimensions. However, the major reason for optimism lies in the increase in concern and activity at the local and individual level where many new initiatives have been taken to protect the marine environment.