Massachusetts passes ocean law
In May 2008, the US state of Massachusetts passed a law that lays the groundwork for a comprehensive plan to manage the state's coastal waters. Intended to balance natural resource preservation with traditional and new uses, the law is the US's first state-level management legislation covering all marine areas under state jurisdiction. The new law requires that the state draft a management plan for its waters by the end of 2009. Although the law does not specifically call for ecosystem-based management, it requires the state to "value biodiversity and ecosystem health" and "respect the interdependence of ecosystems" in its planning. The Massachusetts Oceans Act of 2008 is available online at www.mass.gov/legis/laws/seslaw08/sl080114.htm.
Book describes collaborative coastal management in Tanzania
A new book published by IUCN, the Government of Tanzania, and Irish Aid offers lessons learned from a 12-year effort to apply coastal resource management in the Tanga region of northern Tanzania. The book describes the ongoing Tanga Coastal Zone Conservation and Development Programme (TCZCDP), and places particular emphasis on the use of adaptive management techniques. TCZCDP aims to improve the ecological integrity of the region's coastal zone while also providing for sustainable development of coastal populations. The 176-page book Putting Adaptive Management into Practice: Collaborative Coastal Management in Tanga, Northern Tanzania is available in hard copy from the IUCN Eastern Africa Regional Office at earo@iucn.org.
Essays on ocean governance
A new book by the Regional Programme on Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) provides 25 essays on global and regional ocean governance. The 770-page book Securing the Oceans costs US $56, and is available at www.pemsea.org/about-pemsea/pemsea-news/securing-the-oceans-essays-on-ocean-governance-published-jointly-by-pemsea-and-nippon-foundation.
In our next issue: Ocean zoning
The next issue of MEAM will look at marine spatial planning, with a particular focus on ocean zoning. We'll examine how the concept of zoning overlaps with that of marine EBM, as well as how they differ from each other.
Do you have examples of ocean zoning in practice, including successes or failures? If so, please let us know about them at editor@meam.net. Thank you – we look forward to hearing from you.