Integrating the Protection of Marine Cultural Heritage into Marine Policy, for the Sustainable Development of the Ocean

Abstract

Although there is an increasing call for the integration of Marine Cultural Heritage (MCH) into international integrated management frameworks such as Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), there are few examples of successful integration in practice. This thesis aims to build upon the understanding of MCH as a marine resource by conducting an interdisciplinary investigation of the role of MCH within integrated policy frameworks. In doing so, knowledge and methodologies are drawn upon from multiple fields, including cultural heritage management, environmental studies, law and policy, economics, and resource management. A similarly interdisciplinary research strategy is implemented, using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
Firstly, the issues associated with integrating heritage into environmental policies are introduced and a large-scale network analysis of the research gaps between disciplines is conducted. The results of this Section are developed into three research questions: (1) How does the definition and associated conceptualisation of cultural heritage in integrated frameworks affect the practicality of its management? (2) What is the value of underwater heritage as part of the marine environment? (3) How can underwater heritage be integrated into marine resource management frameworks, and who is responsible for overseeing this process?
Three case studies are used to address the above research questions: an analysis of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) provides novel evidence of the power of semantics in practice; a social valuation experiment exemplifies the interdependencies between heritage and the environment; and a comparative case study of the UK and Bulgaria explores the themes of definition, conceptualisation and valuation in integrated legislation in practice.
Throughout this work it is argued that a nominal inclusion of cultural services within integrated frameworks is of detriment to the successful management of both the cultural heritage and the environment. To address this, incentive is given for the inclusion of heritage within environmental frameworks. To facilitate integration in practice, valuable lessons are presented from two of the
earliest adopters of integrated cultural – natural marine management. Finally, the above information is used to develop proposals and recommendations across multiple levels of governance, including the EU Commission’s MSP Methodology, the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, and the UK Government’s recently developed Culture and Heritage Capital Framework.
As we enter the Decade of Ocean Science (2021-2030), it is essential that MCH is properly understood, protected, and integrated within international, regional, and national marine plans for the sustainable development of the ocean. As such, the findings of this work aim to provide a platform to better facilitate the management of MCH within marine management frameworks, for the benefit of the cultural heritage, the environment, and society.

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ORCID for Fraser Sturt: orcid.org/0000-0002-3010-990X

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