Fit-for-purpose ocean management in times of change – marine conservation and management examples from the Polar Regions

The loss of marine biodiversity resulting from climate change impacts and anthropogenic activities is a well-known reality. Nonetheless, biodiversity loss is ongoing, and pressures asserted by climate change and pollution are predicted to increase further, especially in highly vulnerable ecosystems such as the Polar Regions. Given the ongoing deterioration of the marine ecosystem, concerns have been raised that current marine governance and management systems are not fit for purpose and, thus, need to be reconsidered. To meet its intended purpose, given the context of the new realities and challenges marine ecosystems are exposed to, today’s governance and management approaches need to reflect and adapt to the ecosystem’s inherent characteristics. This includes its dynamism, non-linearity and interconnectedness, which are further amplified by anthropogenic activities and climate change, and which are subject to diverging interests of the different actors within the system. Based on a cross-disciplinary literature review, including ocean governance and management, environmental law, and marine sciences, the paper aims to respond to the emerging need to rethink ocean management and governance approaches. By highlighting challenges and shortcomings of current the current governance and management system, key aspects of fit-for-purpose ocean governance and management approaches are identified. With these in mind, two examples from the Polar Regions are considered to identify opportunities and potential ways forward on how a governance and management system could broadly be conceptualized to be more fit for purpose.