Abstract
Recent changes in marine policy in Panama are closely related to sustained expansion of the Panamanian economy in the past ten years. Important drivers of economic growth such as the Panama Canal expansion, tourism, and real estate development directly involve marine and coastal areas. Therefore, maintaining the quality of these environments, as well as the sustainability of the human communities that depend on them, calls for the implementation of adequate management and planning policies. In light of a complex history of marine and coastal policy in Panama, current institutional restructuring processes, and a growing recognition of the importance of marine and coastal geographies, the authors aim to document the current status of, and community response to, marine and coastal policy in Panama, analyzed in terms of three important cross-cutting sectors: tourism, fishing, and conservation. To do so, the authors introduce two case studies: one in the Pearl Islands Archipelago and one in Bocas del Toro, each with varying degrees of participation or involvement in each sector, to illustrate the range of adaptations to change occurring in coastal communities. Based on an in-depth policy analysis and the case studies, the authors suggest that there are important administrative and structural gaps in the legislation and institutions that enforce them, as well as a lack of integration across institutions. In particular, the authors highlight the lack of clear marine and coastal property regimes as an obstacle to the implementation of integrative marine policies in Panama.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 2202 |
| Pages (from-to) | 161-168 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Marine Policy |
| Volume | 62 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 1 2015 |
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Keywords
- Bocas del Toro
- Conservation
- Fishing
- Integrated coastal management
- Marine and coastal property regimes
- Panama
- Pearl Islands
- Tourism
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Aquatic Science
- Economics and Econometrics
- Environmental Science(all)
- Law
- Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Cite this
Navigating the evolution of marine policy in Panama : Current policies and community responses in the Pearl Islands and Bocas del Toro Archipelagos of Panama. / Spalding, Ana K.; Suman, Daniel O; Mellado, Maria Eugenia.
In: Marine Policy, Vol. 62, 2202, 01.12.2015, p. 161-168.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Navigating the evolution of marine policy in Panama
T2 - Current policies and community responses in the Pearl Islands and Bocas del Toro Archipelagos of Panama
AU - Spalding, Ana K.
AU - Suman, Daniel O
AU - Mellado, Maria Eugenia
PY - 2015/12/1
Y1 - 2015/12/1
N2 - Recent changes in marine policy in Panama are closely related to sustained expansion of the Panamanian economy in the past ten years. Important drivers of economic growth such as the Panama Canal expansion, tourism, and real estate development directly involve marine and coastal areas. Therefore, maintaining the quality of these environments, as well as the sustainability of the human communities that depend on them, calls for the implementation of adequate management and planning policies. In light of a complex history of marine and coastal policy in Panama, current institutional restructuring processes, and a growing recognition of the importance of marine and coastal geographies, the authors aim to document the current status of, and community response to, marine and coastal policy in Panama, analyzed in terms of three important cross-cutting sectors: tourism, fishing, and conservation. To do so, the authors introduce two case studies: one in the Pearl Islands Archipelago and one in Bocas del Toro, each with varying degrees of participation or involvement in each sector, to illustrate the range of adaptations to change occurring in coastal communities. Based on an in-depth policy analysis and the case studies, the authors suggest that there are important administrative and structural gaps in the legislation and institutions that enforce them, as well as a lack of integration across institutions. In particular, the authors highlight the lack of clear marine and coastal property regimes as an obstacle to the implementation of integrative marine policies in Panama.
AB - Recent changes in marine policy in Panama are closely related to sustained expansion of the Panamanian economy in the past ten years. Important drivers of economic growth such as the Panama Canal expansion, tourism, and real estate development directly involve marine and coastal areas. Therefore, maintaining the quality of these environments, as well as the sustainability of the human communities that depend on them, calls for the implementation of adequate management and planning policies. In light of a complex history of marine and coastal policy in Panama, current institutional restructuring processes, and a growing recognition of the importance of marine and coastal geographies, the authors aim to document the current status of, and community response to, marine and coastal policy in Panama, analyzed in terms of three important cross-cutting sectors: tourism, fishing, and conservation. To do so, the authors introduce two case studies: one in the Pearl Islands Archipelago and one in Bocas del Toro, each with varying degrees of participation or involvement in each sector, to illustrate the range of adaptations to change occurring in coastal communities. Based on an in-depth policy analysis and the case studies, the authors suggest that there are important administrative and structural gaps in the legislation and institutions that enforce them, as well as a lack of integration across institutions. In particular, the authors highlight the lack of clear marine and coastal property regimes as an obstacle to the implementation of integrative marine policies in Panama.
KW - Bocas del Toro
KW - Conservation
KW - Fishing
KW - Integrated coastal management
KW - Marine and coastal property regimes
KW - Panama
KW - Pearl Islands
KW - Tourism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84942251338&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84942251338&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.marpol.2015.09.020
DO - 10.1016/j.marpol.2015.09.020
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84942251338
VL - 62
SP - 161
EP - 168
JO - Marine Policy
JF - Marine Policy
SN - 0308-597X
M1 - 2202
ER -