2
specifi c environmental issues, this chapter reviews the scientifi c literature to pinpoint
key research issues and questions linked to the identifi ed governance challenges.
Keywords Marine governance • Ecosystem approach to management • Institutional
fi t • Stakeholder participation • Science-policy interactions
1.1 Introduction
Governing marine environments is a highly complex and challenging enterprise
(Gilek et al. 2015 ). This applies particularly to the heavily polluted and exploited,
semi-enclosed and fragile Baltic Sea, situated in a densely populated region
characterised by societal and ecological changes. This book aims for a better understanding of the complex arrangements of Baltic Sea environmental governance and
gives proposals on how they could be developed for more sustainable outcomes.
The book combines interdisciplinary investigations of the key environmental issues
and risks in the area with in-depth analyses of problems, opportunities and barriers
linked to governance structures and processes.
The Baltic Sea ecosystem is subject to a wide array of societal pressures such as
hazardous chemicals , nutrients , oil discharges and invasive species, as well as
exploitation of physical and biological resources such as fi sh (Ducrotoy and Elliott
2008 ; HELCOM 2010 ). For example, municipal wastewater, agricultural leakage
and other sources have loaded the sea with phosphorus and nitrogen , which, together
with intensive fi shing and changing climate, have contributed to ecosystem regime
shifts in some subbasins (Österblom et al. 2010 ) and a reduced capacity to deliver
ecosystem goods and services to the people living in the nine coastal states
(HELCOM 2010 ). Although most of these human pressures originate from activities
in the Baltic Sea region (Fig. 1.1 ), signifi cant contamination sources and other
drivers of human-induced environmental change in the Baltic Sea also emanate
from activities elsewhere and at larger scales, e.g. through long-range atmospheric
transport of hazardous chemicals, introduction of invasive species through, e.g.
shipping and global increases of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (e.g. Reckermann
et al. 2012 ).
The coupled socioecological system associated with the Baltic Sea is today
characterised by a dense multilevel web of governance structures (e.g. regulatory
frameworks) and processes (such as science-policy interactions), which are linked
to various forms of stakeholder participation and communication arrangements
(e.g. Joas et al. 2008 ; Kern 2011 ). However, despite these thick layers of public and
private governance arrangements, the Baltic Sea is still affected by serious environmental problems and risks due to various governance shortcomings (cf. HELCOM
2010 ). Furthermore, it is highly unlikely that the regionally agreed environmental
objectives of reaching “good environmental status” by 2021 in the HELCOM BSAP
M. Gilek et al.
specifi c environmental issues, this chapter reviews the scientifi c literature to pinpoint
key research issues and questions linked to the identifi ed governance challenges.
Keywords Marine governance • Ecosystem approach to management • Institutional
fi t • Stakeholder participation • Science-policy interactions
1.1 Introduction
Governing marine environments is a highly complex and challenging enterprise
(Gilek et al. 2015 ). This applies particularly to the heavily polluted and exploited,
semi-enclosed and fragile Baltic Sea, situated in a densely populated region
characterised by societal and ecological changes. This book aims for a better understanding of the complex arrangements of Baltic Sea environmental governance and
gives proposals on how they could be developed for more sustainable outcomes.
The book combines interdisciplinary investigations of the key environmental issues
and risks in the area with in-depth analyses of problems, opportunities and barriers
linked to governance structures and processes.
The Baltic Sea ecosystem is subject to a wide array of societal pressures such as
hazardous chemicals , nutrients , oil discharges and invasive species, as well as
exploitation of physical and biological resources such as fi sh (Ducrotoy and Elliott
2008 ; HELCOM 2010 ). For example, municipal wastewater, agricultural leakage
and other sources have loaded the sea with phosphorus and nitrogen , which, together
with intensive fi shing and changing climate, have contributed to ecosystem regime
shifts in some subbasins (Österblom et al. 2010 ) and a reduced capacity to deliver
ecosystem goods and services to the people living in the nine coastal states
(HELCOM 2010 ). Although most of these human pressures originate from activities
in the Baltic Sea region (Fig. 1.1 ), signifi cant contamination sources and other
drivers of human-induced environmental change in the Baltic Sea also emanate
from activities elsewhere and at larger scales, e.g. through long-range atmospheric
transport of hazardous chemicals, introduction of invasive species through, e.g.
shipping and global increases of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (e.g. Reckermann
et al. 2012 ).
The coupled socioecological system associated with the Baltic Sea is today
characterised by a dense multilevel web of governance structures (e.g. regulatory
frameworks) and processes (such as science-policy interactions), which are linked
to various forms of stakeholder participation and communication arrangements
(e.g. Joas et al. 2008 ; Kern 2011 ). However, despite these thick layers of public and
private governance arrangements, the Baltic Sea is still affected by serious environmental problems and risks due to various governance shortcomings (cf. HELCOM
2010 ). Furthermore, it is highly unlikely that the regionally agreed environmental
objectives of reaching “good environmental status” by 2021 in the HELCOM BSAP
M. Gilek et al.