NGO involvement in marine spatial planning: A way forward?

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are playing important roles in environmental conservation and management. Some are actively involved in the development and implementation of marine spatial planning (MSP), especially in Europe where this has been embodied within a European Directive. MSP is being used by many countries to sustainably manage coastal and marine areas, and reduce conflicts. However, recommendations regarding specific NGO roles within the MSP process are lacking. Consequently, to fill this gap and discuss a way forward, a session at the 5th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts and Islands (GOF5) brought together MSP experts and NGO representatives. This paper reports the conclusions of these discussions and presents a summary guideline document for efficient and effective NGO MSP engagement.

► NGOs are involved in MSP yet lacking recommendations on how to contribute for efficient planning.
► Research has concentrated on stakeholder involvement in MSP ignoring the specific role of NGOs.
► Conservationist NGOs may not be a neutral party but they can still facilitate the MSP process.
► Knowledge sharing between MSP experts and NGOs produced recommendations for NGO involvement in MSP.