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Exploring the practical implementation of marine biodiversity offsetting in Australia
Holly J Niner1, Peter J S Jones2, Ben Milligan3
1School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Marine Building, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK; Centre for Blue Governance, Aalborg University, Department of Planning, Rendsburggade 14, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark; Department of Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
Journal of Environmental Management
|June 22, 2021
Summary
Marine biodiversity offsetting in Australia struggles to meet
Area of Science:
- Marine conservation science
- Environmental policy analysis
- Ecological economics
Background:
- Biodiversity offsetting aims for no net loss (NNL) by balancing development impacts with conservation.
- Current marine biodiversity offsetting in Australia deviates from best practice and policy goals.
- Challenges in marine environments hinder effective biodiversity offsetting.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate deviations from best practice in Australian marine biodiversity offsetting.
- Identify barriers to implementing effective marine biodiversity offsetting.
- Understand factors influencing the operationalization of marine NNL policies.
Main Methods:
- In-depth semi-structured interviews with 31 experienced practitioners.
- Thematic analysis of qualitative data on policy development and implementation.
- Analysis of current practices in Australian marine environments.
Main Results:
- Practitioners acknowledge inconsistent operationalization of marine biodiversity offsetting.
- Technical complexity in quantifying marine biodiversity losses/gains and restoration uncertainty are key barriers.
- Low governmental capacity, institutional needs, and economic growth demands impede best practice.
Conclusions:
- Marine biodiversity offsetting lacks a clear, standardized definition in practice.
- Conflicting factors prevent rigorous application needed for biodiversity protection and NNL.
- Current practices threaten the achievement of no net loss goals in marine development.
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