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.