Stakeholder perspectives on large-scale marine protected areas

Research reveals five distinct stakeholder perspectives on large-scale marine protected areas (LSMPAs), highlighting the multi-dimensional nature of views among those directly engaged with these conservation tools. The study, involving forty stakeholders from five sites—including established LSMPAs like the Phoenix Islands Protected Area in Kiribati and proposed ones such as Rapa Nui (Easter Island)—identified three optimistic viewpoints ('Enthusiast,' 'Purist,' and 'Relativist') and two cautious ones ('Critic' and 'Skeptic'). These findings underscore the importance of nuanced consultation processes in LSMPA governance, offering insights that could improve stakeholder dialogue and decision-making. The study employed Q Methodology to capture diverse voices, contributing valuable perspectives to global debates on LSMPAs.

Artis, E., Gray, N. J., Campbell, L. M., Gruby, R. L., Acton, L., Zigler, S. B., & Mitchell, L. (2020). Stakeholder perspectives on large-scale marine protected areas. Plos One, 15(9), e0238574. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238574