“As guardians of our inland and coastal fishing grounds, we are cooling the planet, protecting our ocean and lakes, and maintaining healthy marine ecosystems and biodiversity. Our fishing methods, Indigenous and traditional knowledge, and intergenerational wisdom deeply embedded in our fishing culture is the backbone for sustaining nature and life for generations to come.” – World Forum of Fisher Peoples
Recent years have seen growing attention to the role of local environmental stewardship and environmental defenders in protecting nature and safeguarding the basic human right to a healthy environment. Environmental stewardship refers to actions undertaken by various groups and communities to sustainably use, manage, protect or restore species, habitats, or ecosystems.
International conservation policy bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and governments alike are increasingly recognizing the importance of environmental stewardship, conservation, and restoration efforts led by Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
Environmental defenders are defined by the United Nations (UN) as “individuals and groups who, in their personal or professional capacity and in a peaceful manner, strive to protect and promote human rights relating to the environment, including water, air, land, flora, and fauna”. Many environmental defenders are representatives of racially, gender, and ethnically diverse groups historically subjected to processes of socio-economic marginalization who seek to protect their lands, resources, and ways of living from exclusionary, extractive, and destructive activities. The plight of environmental defenders is also a matter of international concern, considering their frequent criminalization, and the rising number of threats, violent assaults, and murders.
To date, however, much less attention has been given to local environmental stewardship and environmental defenders in the marine and coastal environment. The idea of ocean stewards or defenders is frequently associated with individuals or organizations far from the ocean, not directly affected by the degradation of marine environments, and peripherally engaged in on-the-sea actions to protect the ocean. Yet, those most actively involved in and impacted by ocean protection are groups or communities who live near, have rights to, or rely on the ocean for subsistence, livelihoods, and wellbeing.
This comment aims to bring greater attention and support to the grassroots marine stewardship initiatives and the local ocean defenders who are at the forefront of ocean sustainability efforts. We do so by exploring types of marine stewardship initiatives, highlighting the challenges being experienced by ocean defenders, and identifying key recommendations for moving forward to better recognize and support local marine stewardship and ocean defenders.