Reconciling blue spaces: evaluating social equity and justice in state-led Indigenous marine development programs
Jillian E. Conrad
A B * , Laura Griffiths A B , Natalie Osborne C , James C. R. Smart A D and Christopher L. J. Frid A B
A
B
C
D
Abstract
Government-led Indigenous marine development programs aim to deliver socially equitable outcomes, yet these principles are not always embedded in their design.
Evaluating the extent to which equity is prioritised is crucial for respecting Indigenous rights, interests and advancing reconciliation.
This study introduces the Blue Peacebuilding Scorecard (BPS), a novel quantitative tool to assess social equity integration in marine-based Indigenous programs across Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
New Zealand emerged as a leader in equity and justice, Canadian programs displayed varied performance and Australian programs ranked moderately overall. Justice was a consistently strong category across all nine programs, indicating explicit consideration in program design internationally. Areas such as legacy, access and finance showed moderate performance globally, highlighting opportunities for improvement.
To enhance social equity and advance Indigenous rights within national blue economy development, emphasis should be placed on impact assessment, data sharing and recognising data ownership as critical pathways for progress.
The BPS can be adapted to provide localised insights, fostering reconciliation and collaboration. By facilitating co-learning and reducing both stakeholder conflict and fatigue, the use of this practical tool can lead to enhanced program effectiveness and improved relationships.
Keywords: blue economy, environmental justice, environmental management, Indigenous, marine planning, ocean governance, ocean policy, social equity.
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