A sustainable blue economy requires redistributing not just resources, but voice, power, and decision-making authority
This piece is part of the series 'Governing the Oceans: Rethinking Access and Equity'
Governance structures have become more complex as maritime trade intensifies, climate-related pressures increase, and emerging industries such as deep-sea mining, offshore renewable energy, marine biotechnology, and blue carbon markets add further layers of complexity. As marine resources become increasingly valuable in global energy transitions, food security, and technological innovation, debates surrounding sustainability, equity, and resource sovereignty have gained renewed prominence.
Assessing current ocean governance architecture reveals how those with the greatest technological, financial, and political capacity continue to shape decisions, while coastal and island communities, despite their deep dependence on marine ecosystems, remain marginalised in decision-making.
At the heart of the challenge lies a paradox: those who depend most on the oceans are often those with the least influence over their governance. Small Island Developing States (SIDS), coastal nations in the Global South, and maritime workers are central to ocean economies and ecosystems, yet their voices remain underrepresented in decision-making spaces. This imbalance is not just a moral concern—it also undermines the effectiveness of governance itself.
Recognising the role of emerging economies and Small Island Developing States as not merely stakeholders but agenda-setters in a rapidly evolving maritime order is critical. They sit at the frontline of climate impacts, trade disruptions, and shifting resource dynamics, while also serving as key nodes in global shipping networks and custodians of critical marine biodiversity. Yet their participation in governance processes is often constrained by structural inequalities, including limited access to finance, technology, and negotiation capacity.
Addressing this disconnect requires moving beyond tokenistic inclusion toward frameworks that enable genuine co-decision—not merely participation in form but in substance. It also demands a broader rethinking of whose knowledge counts, how benefits from ocean resources are distributed, and how governance systems can better reflect the lived realities of those most intimately connected to the sea.
Ocean governance today is divided across sectors and institutions. While each plays a vital role, many continue to operate in isolation, leading to overlapping regulations and gaps in enforcement. For SIDS in particular, the stakes are uniquely high. These nations often possess vast Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) relative to their landmass, making ocean governance central to their economic survival and environmental security. For instance, Mauritius, despite its small land area of 1,979 km², possesses a 2.3 million km² Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), among the world’s largest, and jointly manages an additional 396,000 km² with Seychelles.
For SIDS like Mauritius and Seychelles, the blue economy has become a central pillar of development because their vast ocean territories are often much larger than their land areas, drawing on their rich marine biodiversity and strategic ocean locations for trade and tourism. Seychelles has been adopting innovative financial and conservation strategies. For instance, Seychelles issued the world’s first sovereign blue bond in 2018 to support sustainable fisheries.
For SIDS like Mauritius and Seychelles, the blue economy has become a central pillar of development because their vast ocean territories are often much larger than their land areas, drawing on their rich marine biodiversity and strategic ocean locations for trade and tourism.
Mauritius has also integrated the blue economy into its long-term development strategies, ranging from aquaculture to modernised, sustainable fishing practices, as well as the exploration of offshore wind and wave energy. Today, Mauritius is also aiming to develop marine biotechnology and enhance port and maritime services through international collaboration and technical partnerships. It, however, still faces challenges such as marine pollution, overfishing, and limited technological capacity.
SIDS face several equity-related challenges, and the term “blue justice” has been coined by experts to encapsulate these concerns. Whether it is financing, climate change impacts, knowledge and skills gaps, technical and technological resources, private investment, know-how and skills, research, or other capacities, limited financial resources restrict their ability to invest in sustainable ocean industries and marine conservation initiatives. Moreover, local communities may not always receive a proportional share of the benefits generated by tourism, fisheries, or offshore resource development.
Despite contributing less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, SIDS are the most vulnerable to rising sea levels, ocean warming, coastal erosion, and extreme weather events. Hence, consistent and accessible climate finance based on vulnerability should be considered. For instance, the United Nations’ Multidimensional Vulnerability Index can be used to facilitate and streamline access to these crucial funds.
Achieving equity within the blue economy requires inclusive governance, transparent resource management, and meaningful stakeholder participation. Governments, private-sector actors, and civil society organisations should collaborate to ensure that local communities are actively involved in decisions affecting marine resources.
For the blue economy to truly prosper and deliver sustainable growth and development, stronger and more committed international and regional cooperation is essential. The Global South often faces technological and knowledge gaps in sustainable management and can greatly benefit from advanced technologies in offshore wind energy, aquaculture, and marine pollution management, fostering sustainable local industry growth.
For the blue economy to truly prosper and deliver sustainable growth and development, stronger and more committed international and regional cooperation is essential.
Capacity building skills and knowledge transfer between the Global North and South, including Europe and other regions, can invest in educational programmes, training, and university collaborations in marine science, policy-making, and sustainable maritime practices. For instance, while Mauritius has a strong fisheries partnership with the EU through the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement, Europe can further support southern countries by helping them design and implement policies tailored to local needs. This could include setting sustainable fishing quotas, establishing marine protected areas, reducing coastal pollution, and supporting regional cooperation initiatives.
Developed countries can further support developing countries and SIDS in designing and implementing climate adaptation strategies specifically designed for coastal and island communities. This includes investing in climate-resilient infrastructure like flood defences, sustainable coastal tourism, and nature-based solutions.
Supporting the growth of blue economy startups and innovation hubs in the Global South through funding, networks, and mentorship can drive advancements in marine biotechnology, renewable energy, and environmental monitoring. Launching green and blue incubator schemes will further foster sustainable innovation and economic growth.
Efforts to make ocean governance more inclusive have often focused on consultation—inviting stakeholders to share perspectives without ensuring that those perspectives shape outcomes. However, for governance to be both effective and equitable, it must evolve into meaningful participation. This shift requires addressing structural barriers that limit engagement from the Global South. Initiatives like the UN Ocean Capacity Building programmes are important, but scaling up investment is essential to ensure that all states can engage on equal footing.
Strengthening regional alliances and amplifying collective voices—such as through the Alliance of Small Island States can help rebalance these dynamics and ensure that participation translates into influence. While there have been remarkable efforts towards collective diplomacy to amplify their influence in climate negotiations, there is a lack of such cohesion and leverage in broader ocean governance arenas, where competing interests—ranging from fisheries access to deep-sea mining show more competitive rivalry.
Indigenous and local communities in coastal and island regions possess a deep, place-based understanding of marine ecosystems, often developed over generations. It has been documented that these knowledge systems remain underutilised in formal governance processes. It is therefore a sine qua non to integrate them meaningfully through institutional reforms that move beyond token consultation toward co-production of knowledge. Co-management frameworks, participatory mapping, and inclusive data platforms can help bridge this divide, ensuring that governance reflects both global science and local experience.
Rethinking ocean governance requires a paradigm shift from fragmented management to shared stewardship.
Moreover, 1.8 million seafarers worldwide sustain global trade. However, they face persistent challenges, including labour exploitation, regulatory gaps, and mental health pressures. The ongoing transformation of the shipping industry, driven by automation and environmental regulation, raises new concerns about job security and skills development. Governance frameworks must evolve to address these changes, ensuring that labour protections keep pace with technological advancement. For ocean states, community-centric policies must be adopted. The gender dimension should also be addressed to ensure safety and fairness for all.
Even the most inclusive governance systems remain ineffective in the absence of strong accountability mechanisms. Effective accountability requires political will to enforce rules consistently, together with adequate enforcement tools and capacity. Satellite monitoring and other initiatives advanced by Global Fishing Watch, civil society organisations and independent oversight bodies play a crucial role in helping SIDS like Mauritius, which face overexploitation. Fostering innovation, improving governance, and sharing best practices can support sustainable fishing, combat illegal fishing, and promote responsible aquaculture by training local fishermen and fish farmers and establishing seafood traceability systems.
Rethinking ocean governance requires a paradigm shift from fragmented management to shared stewardship. The panacea lies in recognising that equity and effectiveness are not competing priorities but mutually reinforcing. This entails redistributing not only resources but also voice and power: creating safe spaces where emerging economies, SIDS, and maritime communities are not only heard but can shape outcomes. Only by aligning power with responsibility can ocean governance become truly inclusive, resilient, and fit for the future.
Teenah Jutton is a Sustainability Leader dedicated to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working at the Intersection of Research, Policy & Advocacy.
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Teenah Jutton is a Sustainability Leader dedicated to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working at the Intersection of Research, Policy & Advocacy. She is also ...
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