316
S. Almerigi et al.
Introduction
The Interactive Governance Approach (IGA) includes “…the formulation and
application of principles guiding [governing] interactions and care for institutions
that enable them” (Kooiman et al. 2005 , 19). As the move to more participatory
methods in fi sheries management organizations is relatively new within the Wider
Caribbean, little attention has been paid to the installation of principles that are
necessary for effective governance. When principles are mentioned, it has mainly
been within the texts of multilateral agreements. The IGA also recognizes that effective governance requires functionality at multiple levels: working with images,
developing instruments and taking action, which it refers to as the ‘elements of
governance’. Here again, the fi sheries management literature provides little guidance on working with images and how these are converted into instruments that
guide action. One form of imagery that can play an important role in fi sheries governance is the vision that stakeholders have for a particular fi shery. Mahon et al.
( 2005 ) emphasize three ways forward in pursuing interactive governance: (1) the
development of principles and visions to guide governance; (2) the inclusivity and
sharing of the responsibility for governance; and (3) the promotion of capacity to
learn and adapt. The extent to which stakeholders in both the system-to-be-governed
and the governing system are working from a common set of principles and have a
shared vision is considered to be a critical factor in the governability of the system
(Jentoft et al. 2010 ) .
In this chapter we describe a facilitated process in which a diverse group of
stakeholders from fi shery governing systems and systems-to-be-governed in the
Wider Caribbean Region came together to: (1) explore the extent to which they are
working from a common set of principles; (2) to develop a shared vision for marine
EBM (EBM) in the Wider Caribbean Region; and (3) to identify key strategic
actions necessary to set the stage for implementing EBM. In this process, which
took the form of a 3-day symposium, December 10–12, 2008, attention was paid to
inclusivity and participation to ensure that the strategic directions developed would
include the widest possible range of perspectives. The objective of the process was
to produce outputs that other stakeholders around the region could identify with and
choose to adopt.
The Wider Caribbean Region is one of the most geopolitically diverse and complex regions in the world (Chakalall et al. 2007 ; Fanning et al. 2009 ). It extends
from the mouth of the Amazon River, Brazil, in the south, through the insular
Caribbean, Central America, the Gulf of Mexico and north along the east coast of
North America to Cape Hatteras (Fig. 17.1 ). The Wider Caribbean Region is a
R. Mahon • P. McConney
Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) ,
University of the West Indies , St. Michael , Barbados
e-mail: rmahon@caribsurf.com ; patrick.mcconney@cavehill.uwi.edu
S. Almerigi et al.
Introduction
The Interactive Governance Approach (IGA) includes “…the formulation and
application of principles guiding [governing] interactions and care for institutions
that enable them” (Kooiman et al. 2005 , 19). As the move to more participatory
methods in fi sheries management organizations is relatively new within the Wider
Caribbean, little attention has been paid to the installation of principles that are
necessary for effective governance. When principles are mentioned, it has mainly
been within the texts of multilateral agreements. The IGA also recognizes that effective governance requires functionality at multiple levels: working with images,
developing instruments and taking action, which it refers to as the ‘elements of
governance’. Here again, the fi sheries management literature provides little guidance on working with images and how these are converted into instruments that
guide action. One form of imagery that can play an important role in fi sheries governance is the vision that stakeholders have for a particular fi shery. Mahon et al.
( 2005 ) emphasize three ways forward in pursuing interactive governance: (1) the
development of principles and visions to guide governance; (2) the inclusivity and
sharing of the responsibility for governance; and (3) the promotion of capacity to
learn and adapt. The extent to which stakeholders in both the system-to-be-governed
and the governing system are working from a common set of principles and have a
shared vision is considered to be a critical factor in the governability of the system
(Jentoft et al. 2010 ) .
In this chapter we describe a facilitated process in which a diverse group of
stakeholders from fi shery governing systems and systems-to-be-governed in the
Wider Caribbean Region came together to: (1) explore the extent to which they are
working from a common set of principles; (2) to develop a shared vision for marine
EBM (EBM) in the Wider Caribbean Region; and (3) to identify key strategic
actions necessary to set the stage for implementing EBM. In this process, which
took the form of a 3-day symposium, December 10–12, 2008, attention was paid to
inclusivity and participation to ensure that the strategic directions developed would
include the widest possible range of perspectives. The objective of the process was
to produce outputs that other stakeholders around the region could identify with and
choose to adopt.
The Wider Caribbean Region is one of the most geopolitically diverse and complex regions in the world (Chakalall et al. 2007 ; Fanning et al. 2009 ). It extends
from the mouth of the Amazon River, Brazil, in the south, through the insular
Caribbean, Central America, the Gulf of Mexico and north along the east coast of
North America to Cape Hatteras (Fig. 17.1 ). The Wider Caribbean Region is a
R. Mahon • P. McConney
Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) ,
University of the West Indies , St. Michael , Barbados
e-mail: rmahon@caribsurf.com ; patrick.mcconney@cavehill.uwi.edu