Outcome-based/distributive dimension analysis
Of the outcome-based/distributive dimension of equity, the aspects most
addressed by the challenges were: access to ecosystem goods and
services; access to basic human rights; access to culturally important
areas, species and communities; and financial capital created from
marine resource-based industries (Table 1).
Access to basic human rights most commonly focused on issues around food
security for all. For example, ‘Food for all’ proposed a pathway action
of regulatory and market-driven improvements in domestic and low-value
seafood chains to enable equitable access to food, whereas ‘Ocean
resource use’ proposed integrated and participatory management to
increase food security. The focus of access to ecosystem goods and
services included fisher access to fish stocks and local community
access to coastal and marine areas. For example, ‘Oceans and society’
recommended enforcing public access to coastal and marine areas, whereas
‘Poleward bound’ proposed a pathway action of creating indigenous and
community conserved areas.
Indigenous peoples were the main group perceived to be affected
regarding access to culturally important areas, species and communities.
To address this, many of the papers focused on the need for recognition
of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and inclusion of Indigenous Peoples’
knowledge and cultural values. As examples, ‘Warming world, changing
ocean’ proposed increased inclusion of Indigenous perspectives, and
‘Safeguarding marine life’ proposed the recognition of Indigenous
peoples and traditional owners as the guardians and managers of marine
areas. In regard to access to public services, various topics were
addressed including the need for engagement and literacy programs to
improve mental health (Connecting to the oceans) and the need to make
science more discoverable and communicated (Safeguarding marine life).
The focus for financial capital created from marine resource-based
industries was primarily commercial and recreational fishing – both in
terms of changes to subsidies and rights for small-scale fishers.
Furthermore, ‘Oceans and society’ proposed that incentives to provide
micro-loans for green technology may assist disadvantaged groups whilst
‘Deep aspirations’ suggested that private-public benefit sharing
mechanisms could help to address benefit hoarding by corporations and
wealthy nations. ‘Oceans and resource use’ highlighted how benefit
sharing requires engaged knowledge holders and conflict resolution tools
to assist during a transition to sustainable livelihoods. Importantly,
‘Empowering her guardians’ made clear that recognising the maritime
rights of Indigenous and Traditional Peoples, eradicating colonialism,
and stopping prejudice against Indigenous and Traditional knowledge
systems would start to address equity across the distributive dimension.