Seascapes in Transition: Swedish Perspectives on Maritime Management

Global coastal communities are under considerable pressure from urbanization, unemployment, and transformation of fishing practices. Simultaneously, coastal communities are often considered to have a rich cultural legacy that... [ view full abstract ]

Global coastal communities are under considerable pressure from urbanization, unemployment, and transformation of fishing practices. Simultaneously, coastal communities are often considered to have a rich cultural legacy that forms a body of local specialised knowledge. Previous research indicates that top-down approaches of regulation implementation often fail in accommodating cultural values and perspectives from local communities even though cultural sustainability is considered to underpin successful ecological protection. However, while the feedback loop between generic scientific knowledge and specialised local knowledge is considered to be a vital element in protection practices, the practices of adaption and accommodation are rarely friction free and seamless. It is of vital importance, therefore, to study how coastal communities experience adaption and accommodation in order to understand how policy is translated into cultural praxis. In Sweden, for example, while policy initiatives strive to promote local cultural values and economic growth in coastal regions, far less is known about cultural impact than environmental impact. The intended balance, therefore, between the maintenance of local knowledge and the dissemination of expert knowledge is in need of further analysis.

The aim of this study has been to explore policy work while considering the perspectives of communities in order to gain an understanding of how local cultural values can be accommodated while simultaneously preserving sustainable ecosystems. The study utilises an array of qualitative research methods including semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and comparative content analysis of policy documentation. Social anthropological theory is used for understanding the intersection of policy implementation and cultural landscapes. Aligned with previous research the study points to the conflict of interests between local communities and government policy implementation. The study concludes that an awareness of cultural conventions is crucial for securing local support for coastal and maritime governance. The paper contributes to scholarly and political debates about how to successfully and ethically govern coastal areas, and provides knowledge of how to include cultural values of local communities while preserving marine ecosystems. The study is relevant to a more generic discussion about implementation of conservation programs for environmental protection.