27.2.17 | The Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) hosted an international conference within the framework of the EU COST project "Ocean Governance for Sustainability" from 6 to 8 March in Bremen. Around 100 participants from science and politics from 24 countries discussed the future of the oceans at the conference, which took place in the Haus der Wissenschaft and at ZMT.
After the welcoming addresses - including Kristofer Du Rietz, representative of the EU Commission's Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries - the former Deputy Secretary General, Dr. Awni Behnam, opened the conference on 6 March at the Haus der Wissenschaft.
On 7 March, interested members of the public had been invited to join a "Science meets Policy" panel discussion on the topic "Ocean Governance for Sustainability", taking place in English at the Überseemuseum with representatives of the EU Parliament, EU Commission, German UNESCO Commission and two civil society organisations - Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) and Fair Oceans.
Oceans and seas cover around two thirds of the earth's surface. People use them in numerous ways as a source of food, transport routes or also as a backdrop for creating cultures and myths. But who owns the oceans? Who takes care of a sustainable use of the oceans' resources and what role do local conditions play regarding compliance with laws on fishing practices? What influence do societal and individual practices exert and what role does science play in this context?
Around 100 international scientists from a wide range of disciplines dealt with these and similar questions during the three-day conference which was organised within the EU COST network "Ocean Governance for Sustainability" under the direction of Prof. Dr. Anna-Katharina Hornidge of ZMT.
The main focus was put on the six core themes of this European network project: land-sea interaction, land-based management, deep sea resources, food security and food systems, climate change and ocean acidification, as well as, fisheries management. The participating researchers presented their latest results in these fields.
Thus, Prof. Dr. Maarten Bavinck from the University of Amsterdam dealt with the question: to what extent can an increased use of maritime resources contribute to the world nutrition, while Dr. Agisilaos Economou from the Technical University of Athens focused his research on the challenges related to the management of European coastal areas. Other speakers established their research work in the comprehensive theme of governability of global water worlds and focused on theory formation, structures, as well as on the significance the research and policy area "Ocean Governance" would have in future.
"Ocean control in an ecological, economical and socially sustainable way is not only of scientific but also of great political sensitivity at a time of "post-factual" policy-making. We are talking about the common use of the oceans and its resources and, thus, about the common use of the largest global transmission system. The shaping of these international discussions on allocation contributes fundamentally to inclusive, or else to border drawing forms of international cooperation," said Anna-Katharina Hornidge, Chair of the EU COST Network "Ocean Governance for Sustainability".
About the EU COST Project "Ocean Governance for Sustainability"
For several years now, the European Union has been increasingly interested in questions on sustainable ocean management. Above all, an impression of great conceptual fragmentation and missing connections of local, regional, national and global approaches becomes apparent. The aim of the four-year EU COST project "Ocean Governance for Sustainability" is thus to address problems of current legislations and regulations in a transdisciplinary way in order to adapt existing strategies in research and policy. The integrative approach which brings together natural, social and human sciences, as well as, international know-how is a specific feature of the COST projects funded by the European Union. Moreover, the conference fits into the current science year 2016*2017 "Seas and Oceans". The conference in Bremen will be the starting point for the project which was established in September 2016 in Brussels under the direction of Prof. Dr. Anna-Katharina Hornidge (ZMT). For more information please refer to www.oceangov.eu
The EU COST conference on "Ocean Governance for Sustainabilty - Challenges, Options and the Role of Science" was organised by the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research in cooperation with the European program "Cooperation of Science and Technology (COST)".
When: 6 - 8 March 2017
Where: Haus der Wissenschaft and Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)
Official conference programme for download.
Public panel discussion on March 7 at Überseemuseum
Programme for download.
Contacts
Prof. Dr. Anna-Katharina Hornidge
(formerly ZMT, now German Development Institute - DIE)
Former Working Groups