The ACCESS-BoFEP 2026 Conference program is available here
Abstract
This study started from a critique of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and its tokenistic inclusion of local stakeholders. This presentation will report the findings of research that aimed to develop a conceptual and operational framework to advance local stakeholders’ engagement in MSP, using the Scotian Shelf and Bay of Fundy (SSBF) planning area as a case study. The study employed a qualitative multi-method design integrating: a systematic literature review on the foundations of community-oriented planning and stakeholder engagement principles; interviews with MSP experts; and individual and focus groups sessions with local sectoral representatives to explore the four elements of effective participation (who should participate, how, when, and at what level of intensity). This was complemented by interviews with local experts to examine the contextual factors shaping public participation in the SSBF. The resulting framework comprises five dimensions. The first establishes the paradigmatic principles to reimagine a locally grounded MSP. The second highlights the central role of local communities in MSP. The third addresses how contextual factors shape both the possibilities and limitations of local stakeholder participation. The fourth outlines the practical elements for operationalizing local stakeholder engagement. Finally, the fifth dimension positions trust as a cross-cutting element that permeates the entire framework and is decisive for the success or failure of the participatory process. The primary contribution of this study lies in its solution-oriented approach: rather than focusing on the problem, it advances concrete a solution and demonstrates that local stakeholder participation in MSP is achievable and beneficial, for both the planning process itself and for the communities it affects.
Citation
Martinez Calderon, D., Manuel P., & MacDonald, B. H. (2026). Reimagining marine spatial planning: A framework for fostering local stakeholder engagement. ACCESS/BoFEP Conference, Sackville, New Brunswick, 19-22 May 2026.
Related Blog Post
Belen, A., Emery Webster, A., Keast, E., Legault, A., Margeson, K., Martinez Calderon, D., & Toze, S. (2026, June 25). “Connecting Communities to Ocean Science”: ACCESS-BoFEP Conference, 19-22 May 2026. EIUI Blog. https://eiui.ca/connecting-communities-to-ocean-science-the-access-bofep-conference-19-22-may-2026/