Master's thesis. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

Marine issues develop in complex social contexts, usually involving a large number of sectors, actors, and users. Achieving sustainable marine governance requires a continued and context-specific structure of interdisciplinary knowledge, inter-sectorial interaction as well as inter-institutional coordination that generates daunting challenges to government, stakeholders and civil society. In this sense, it is imperative for marine governance structures to pay close attention to social sustainability factors, such as recognition of socio-cultural diversity, representation in decision-making and distribution of ‘goods’ and ‘bads’, which have commonly been overlooked in environmental governance in general and marine governance in particular. Costa Rica’s territorial sea is an important source of income for a myriad of communities on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. During 2019 and 2020, the Responsible Fishing Marine Area and Marine Management Area of Barra del Colorado were created under the expectation of serving the social and ecological needs of the community. Taking this into consideration, this study aims to examine how social sustainability was handled in the formation process of the two resource management areas, which involved participation of institutional and civil society actors from 2010 until 2019. This study first analyses the concept of marine governance and its relationship to social justice. The concept of social sustainability is explained and I then develop a social sustainability conceptual framework. Secondly, the methodology and methods are described. The choice of the empirical case is described in the next section and I next give a brief overview of Barra del Colorado’s social and economic characteristics and background. Further, an analysis of the process to consolidate the Responsible Fishing Marine Area and the Marine Management Area of Barra del Colorado through the social sustainability framework is conducted. Last, the results of the analysis are discussed and the main findings are presented. Through this analysis, the process of consolidation was assessed against the normative social sustainability theory, concluding that the process was found lacking regarding its social sustainability due to a series of government-related issues, that affected the representation, recognition and distribution of the process.

À l’heure de la monétarisation de chacun des éléments de notre société, la présente recherche relative à la conservation des milieux marins en droit international et droit de l’Union européenne opère une incursion holistique en droit de l’environnement, notamment axée sur l’analyse juridique, et plus largement socio-éco-systémique, de la conservation et de la gestion durables des milieux marins.Notre étude analyse, au regard du droit, les principales problématiques telles que les délimitations maritimes, les ressources des milieux marins et la gestion des zones marines protégées, mettant ainsi en exergue la nécessité d’une nouvelle gouvernance des océans et sous-tendant de fait la participation accrue de l’ensemble des acteurs socio-politiques concernés. En effet, la participation ainsi que l’accès à l’information et à la justice en matière environnementale apparaissent aujourd’hui comme des outils de conservation des milieux marins aux fins d’une garantie efficiente des droits de l’Homme.L’analyse de la lutte contre la pollution des milieux marins en droit international et droit de l’Union européenne permet d’envisager tant les causes (pollutions opérationnelles, accidentelles ou encore telluriques) que les conséquences de ce qui est communément admis comme une source majeure de pollution des mers. Est alors menée une réflexion sur les moyens potentiels susceptibles de mieux garantir la sécurité et la sûreté maritime, notamment à travers le cas de la piraterie maritime, à la faveur d’un éclairage, circonstancié et prospectif, sur quelques-unes des législations internationales et européennes en matière de lutte contre les actes illicites maritimes et les atteintes à l’environnement marin. / In an era when every element in our society can be monetized, this research examining the conservation of marine environment in European union and International Law will lead a holistic incursion in environmental law which will include a legal and a socio-eco-systemic approach to the conservation and the sustainable management of marine areas.This study provides a legal analysis of key issues: maritime boundary delimitations, marine resources and management of protected marine areas. It will underline the need for a new type of ocean governance involving an increased implication of socio-political stakeholders. Participation, access to information and environmental justice appear, now more than ever, as the main tools to ensure marine areas conservation and, ultimately, to safeguard human rights.The analysis of international efforts to fight the pollution of marine areas, through recourse to international and European union law is led against its various causes (operational, accidental or telluric pollutions) as well as their consequences. An analysis of available tools to better guarantee maritime security and safety - including through a study of maritime piracy - will allow for a comprehensive and prospective view of some of the international and European union legislations regarding illicit maritime acts and harmful acts against marine environment.

L’évolution du droit international contemporain conduit souvent à poser la question de sa fragmentation. L’existence, dans le droit de la mer, d’une double approche, universelle et régionale, contribue à alimenter ce débat.La présente recherche s’intéresse aux relations, en termes d’interactions, que l’universalisme et le régionalisme entretiennent dans le droit de la mer. Elle tente plus précisément d’en comprendre les mécanismes et les enjeux.Dans un premier temps, l’étude est consacrée à l’analyse des interactions normatives et institutionnelles. Il est observé que le dédoublement de l’ordre des mers est plus apparent que réel, universalisme et régionalisme étant engagés dans des relations montrant leur entrelacement.Dans une seconde phase, l’analyse se tourne vers l’impact de ces interactions, non seulement sur les approches universelle et régionale, mais également sur l’ordre des mers. Il apparaît, en effet, que les relations entre ces deux dynamiques influencent décisivement la gouvernance des espaces marins dans leur ensemble. C’est ce dont rendent compte tant la création que l’application effective des règles chargées d'assurer cette gouvernance internationale. / The evolution of contemporary international law often leads to the question of its fragmentation. The presence, in the Law of the Sea, of both a universal and a regional approach contributes towards nourishing this debate.The present research focuses on the relationships, in terms of interaction, between universalism and regionalism within the Law of the Sea. It attempts especially to understand the mechanisms of these interactions and their stakes.At first, the study is devoted to the analysis of normative and institutional interactions. One can observes that the cleavage of the legal order of the seas is more apparent than real, since universalism and regionalism are engaged in relationships showing their intertwining nature.Secondly, the study is turned towards the impact of these interactions, not only on the universal and regional approaches, but also on the legal order of the Sea. Indeed, it appears that the relations between these two components of the Law of the Sea, influence in a decisive way the governance of the oceans as a whole. This influence can be seen in the creation as well as in the effective application of the rules of this international governance.