Governing wide coastal-marine protected territories: A governance analysis of the Baleia Franca Environmental Protection Area in South Brazil

This is a governance analysis of a large coastal-marine protected area encompassing over 156,000 ha and including nine coastal cities in south Brazil – Baleia Franca Environmental Protection Area (BFEPA). While the governance focus of BFEPA has been on participative incentives, progress has been challenging given the enormous size of the area protected and because more bottom–up processes continuously clash with top–down higher-level decisions in the country. It is argued that while current interpretative incentives should be maintained and strengthened, economic and legal incentives should be where more substantial progress has to be made. While major expectation for innovation and change is currently placed in the on-going formulation of a participative Management Plan, entrenched views on development, planning and governing must be challenged. This is not an easy task considering it opposes the prevailing economic development rationale in Brazil.

► This is a governance analysis of Baleia Franca Environmental Protection Area.
► A major obstacle is to deal with entrenched views on development across the territory.
► Emphasis has been on participative incentives, which must be continued and improved.
► Interpretative, economic and legal incentives are needed for improved governance.
► Increased governability is expected through an innovative participatory management plan.