The North Sea as a Living Marine Democracy

By 2045, North Sea governance has shifted from sovereign control to bioregional, multispecies stewardship, recognising the sea as a political subject with agency and rights. This speculative yet plausible vision imagines governance rooted in ecological relationships, interspecies representation, and post-growth economies, informed by emerging legal, scientific, and civic practices. Tracing pathways from present-day initiatives to future institutions, it argues that changing imaginaries is a political tool capable of transforming law, culture, and governance, enabling more just, reciprocal, and regenerative relationships between humans and the living world.