Getting off the conflict treadmill: community engagement and marine park policy in South Australia, Australia

Abstract

Marine parks are used worldwide as a marine governance tool to increase fish density and populations, protect rare and threatened species. However, MPAs are often contested and conflict emerges as a powerful factor in shaping their success or failure. This paper reports on a conflict analysis that investigated the role conflict played in affecting the community engagement processes and public acceptability of MPAs in South Australia. We demonstrate that, despite application of world recognised engagement techniques, conflict relating to MPAs persists. This conflict is powerful enough to provoke the dismantling of the MPAs upon a change of government. We argue that ongoing analysis of conflict, including the context, actors, causes and relational dynamics, enables a better understand the role of conflict within and during the community engagement processes. The insights gained may then help break the conflict treadmill to facilitate the conditions needed to apply successful MPA governance systems.