The road towards Kosterhavet national park - A model for participatory conservation planning?

Introducing integrative and participatory management of marine resources to an originally centralist and sector-based system of governance as in Sweden presents challenges. International pressure towards participatory and ecosystem based management, e.g. the Convention of Biodiversity and the European Union’s Integrated Maritime Policy, Marine Strategy Directive and ICZM-recommendations, are increasing. One year ago, Sweden has inaugurated its first marine national park comprising the Koster and coastal archipelago in Stromstad and Tanum municipalities. The road towards the park has been long, curvy, and bumpy. Ideas first presented more than 30 years ago met little local enthusiasm. In the end, top-down management has met bottom-up initiative; conservation is no more a "dead hand" but provides potential for rural development through sustainable tourism. Local users are not merely tolerated but an important part in the park's management structure. The park’s objectives also include educational and sustainable use-goals. Many participants have become interested to analyse what they call the ”Koster Sea Dialogue”. From a scientific perspective, the process is a highly interesting case of integrative management of coastal resource conflicts and institutional innovation in conservation. The inclusion of a rural development perspective, the development of multiple forms of collaboration over years, and active individuals on various levels seem to have been important drivers. The case connects to findings from various areas of environmental social sciences. The research is based on Ph.D.- and post-doctoral research and preliminary results from a documentation project with focus on coastal planning, participation, conflict management, and institutional change.