People and the Sea

Big Ocean knows that best-practice stewarding of our oceans, at any scale, requires the participation of rights holders, stakeholders, and relevant communities. Two papers are featured here, documenting the importance of marine management and conservation in the hands of local communities, Indigenous peoples, and ocean defenders; the articles advocate for holistic approaches and provide recommendations to support these systems.

Territories of life as key to global environmental sustainability - ScienceDirect

Territories and areas that Indigenous peoples and local communities govern, manage, and conserve (hereafter territories of life) are increasingly recognized by scientists, international agencies, nongovernmental, and grassroot organizations, as central to the future of a healthy and sustainable planet. Hundreds of thousands of such social–ecological systems exist worldwide, covering millions of square kilometers of land and seascapes on all five continents, contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of a significant proportion of the world’s biodiversity. Nevertheless, these systems face many threats and often have little-to-no formal recognition or support from nation-state governments. To address this growing need, this review provides the most complete, recent, and updated global overview of territories of life. The review advocates for a holistic approach of territories of life and identifies key opportunities for researchers to favor action- and policy-oriented research in support of such vital systems for global sustainability.

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Local marine stewardship and ocean defenders | Ocean Sustainability (nature.com)

Local marine stewardship initiatives and ocean defenders are at the forefront of ocean sustainability efforts, yet often receive insufficient recognition and support. We make five recommendations to bring greater attention and support to local marine stewardship and ocean defenders in research, policy, practice, and funding.