The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment was created in 1989 by an agreement among the states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
State and provincial employees of natural resource agencies initiated the process to create the council at the sub-national level with a focus on the shoreline, seabed, waters and natural resources of the Gulf of Maine region.
Although declining stocks of cod and haddock focused attention on the Gulf of Maine, the council does not address commercial fishing and was not formed in response to the fisheries crisis. Avoiding a highly contentious issue that involves multiple regulatory bodies at the federal level allows the council retain the participation of its members and discuss common interests.
The council does not have regulatory or management authority. Instead, it provides a forum that creates dialogue among the state and provincial governments. It is a vehicle to improve management of the ecosystem by sharing information. Members are encouraged to participate in transboundary cooperation on the basis of shared ecosystem goals.
The council provides an example of a relatively mature, transboundary and large-scale marine ecosystem-based management initiative.
Mission
The mission of the Gulf of Maine Council is “to maintain and enhance environmental quality in the Gulf of Maine to allow for sustainable resource use by existing and future generations.”
Goals
The council has established the following 2007-2012 Action Plan Goals:
Lead Organizations
Key Parties
Canadian Federal Government
Canadian Provincial Government
United States Federal Government
U.S. State Government
The Gulf of Maine Council uses an organizational structure that includes the council as well as a Management and Finance Committee, two non-profit organizations, contractors, and a rotating Secretariat.
Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment
The council is comprised of leaders of state, provincial, and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. Council members rarely exercise their voting power, often operating by consensus.
Because council actions are not legally binding, the voting process is largely symbolic. It represents the commitment to the council and collaboration that would encourage agencies to implement the council’s recommendations. Voting, however, does serve to provide a record of consensus but has no effect on parties that oppose or abstain from the vote.
Working Group
A 27-member Working Group provides leadership at the implementation level and guides the work of underlying committees. The Working Group is responsible for much of the work recommended by the council. The Working Group includes one representative of each state, provincial, and federal council member, as well as Canadian and U.S. co-chairs from each of the Council’s Committees.
Thematic Committees
The council is supported by three thematic committees:
The committees take responsibility for implementing the goals of the Action Plan. They operate under work plans reviewed and approved by the Working Group. They report to the Working Group quarterly, and meet as needed in the interim.
Subcommittees provide the workforce to support various council strategies, targets, and programs. Those include conservation, habitat monitoring, restoration, the Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative, contaminant monitoring, Gulfwatch, sewage, bivalve harvesting industry, energy, and sustainable tourism.
Management and Finance Committee
The Management and Finance Committee supports council operations by providing outreach, information management, and project evaluation. The council seeks additional financial support and manages federal grants through two non-profit branches, the U.S. Gulf of Maine Association and the Canadian Gulf of Maine Association.
Secretariat
Because the program has no central office or full-time staff, the program is administered through a Secretariat that rotates among the five jurisdictions on an annual basis. The Secretariat assigns a Chair of the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment, Chair of the Working Group, Chair of the Management and Finance Committee.
The Secretariat hosts two annual meetings and maintains daily operations. Because the meetings rotate, participants travel throughout the program area. With this framework, participating states and provinces share the administrative burden.
Secretariat Team
A Secretariat Team is utilized to provide smooth transitions. The immediate past, current, and future Working Group Chairs comprise the Secretariat Team with counsel and coordination from core contractors. The Secretariat Team assists the Management and Finance Committee with complex issues and provides recommendations for further action.
Contractors
A variety of contractors support the council, including a data manger, finance assistant, monitoring program coordinator, development coordinator, restoration program coordinator, and ecosystem indicators program manager. A Council Coordinator is also retained by contract to provide organizational continuity as the Secretariat role rotates.
Background
In 1973, the United States and Canadian governments held an inaugural Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers to facilitate coordination of policies and programs related to transportation, forest management, tourism, small-scale agriculture, and fisheries.
By the late 1970s, the Gulf of Maine was the focus of a fishing dispute between the two nations. Both the U.S. and Canada declared Exclusive Economic Zones with overlapping claims to the productive Georges Bank fishing ground.
In 1979, the U.S. and Canada attempted to negotiate a fisheries conservation agreement. A strong fishing lobby blocked the bill in Congress. By the end of the year, tensions surrounding the maritime boundary in the gulf grew so fierce that the International Joint Commission (IJC) had to settle the matter.
After five years of hearings and consultation the IJC released its judgment in 1984. It awarded the U.S. the majority of Georges Bank, designating only the easternmost portion to Canada.
Formation of the Gulf of Maine Council
In 1989, managers on both sides of the gulf proposed the formation of a transboundary council to bridge gaps in management. The Gulf of Maine Council may be unique because it was not initiated as a direct response to a crisis or legislated mandate, but was created out of a desire to improve management.
Forward-thinking middle-managers from state and provincial agencies recognized the potential benefits from creating a cross-jurisdictional dialogue to address the complete geographic expanse of the ecosystem.
The effort met resistance from the U.S. State Department, which questioned the state agencies’ ability and authority to request an international arrangement. Clarifying that the council would not redistribute any authorities or lead to a binding treaty cleared the way for its formation.
In December, the respective governors and premiers of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia announced the “Agreement on Conservation of the Maine Environment of the Gulf of Maine between the Governments of the Bordering States and Provinces.”
The agreement recognized that “natural resources of the Gulf of Maine are interconnected and form part of an overall ecosystem that transcends political boundaries.” It also recognized a shared duty to protect and conserve gulf resources, and a need for planning and management of human activity. Importantly, the agreement stated, “the most effective means of protecting, conserving, and managing the region's resources is through the cooperative pursuit of consistent policies, initiatives, and programs.”
The Ecosystem
The Gulf of Maine is a 93,000-square kilometer, international semi-enclosed sea. The gulf extends to the south to the waters around Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It extends to the north to the upper Bay of Fundy to the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It also includes the waters around New Hampshire and Maine. The gulf extends seaward to include Georges Bank and Brown Bank, which form the submerged walls of a basin that demarcates the gulf’s seaward boundary.
The region is characterized by numerous winding inlets and roughly 5,000 islands that contribute to its impressive 12,000 kilometer coastline.
The gulf is characterized as a basin bounded by the terrestrial coastline and underwater offshore banks that create a unique ecosystem.
Within the gulf, Georges Bank and Brown Bank yield fertile fishing grounds. The gulf provides habitat for hundreds of species of fish and shellfish and more than 18 species of marine mammals, including the endangered North Atlantic right whale.
Herring, cod, and haddock fisheries have suffered exploitation and near collapse in the years leading up to the formation of the Gulf of Maine Council. Several fisheries are still recovering.
Threats
Practitioners have identified the following primary threats to the ecosystem of the Gulf of Maine:
The Gulf of Maine Council has used the following strategies:
To provide accountability and measurable outcomes, the most recent Gulf of Maine Council Action Plan was accompanied by an evaluative structure to identify desired short-, mid- and long-term outcomes.
The “Evaluation Strategies for Short-term Outcomes in the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment’s 2007-2010 Action Plan” provides strategies to measure progress in meeting the short-term outcomes in the plan.
Interviewees highlighted the following accomplishments or impacts of the Gulf of Maine Council:
Increased Collaboration
The council is commonly referred to as a “forum for process,” because it provides a venue for discussion and the exchange of information. Participants report that this function provides immeasurable value in the effort to enable marine ecosystem-based management. Practitioners are able to share ideas and learn from each other. Having a regional strategy allows local program staff to cite common planning objectives when seeking financial or partner support when instituting local projects.
Dedication to EBM
As an initial step in developing an ecosystem-based management toolkit for the region, the council and the Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS), in association with the EBM Tools Network, conducted an online survey of EBM practitioners in September and October 2007. The Gulf of Maine Ecosystem-Based Management Toolkit Survey gathered region-specific information on:
Creation of Common Science
When asked to reflect on impacts to the ecosystem, many interviewees pointed to the Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative (GOMMI), Gulfwatch, GOM Marine Habitat Primer, and the still evolving Ecosystem Indicators Partnership (ESIP). Though these do not directly impact the ecosystem, these efforts reflect a desire to create a common language across the common resource which may yield more informed management decisions.
Ecosystem Outcomes
The most referenced impact to the ecosystem related to the Habitat Restoration Grants Program, which supports restoration projects in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire for engineering studies, restoration work, and post-restoration monitoring. One council member said given the considerable development in the watershed, just maintaining ecosystem qualities is a significant achievement.
Elevated Visibility of the Gulf of Maine and Leadership
The council provides a sense of place through information sharing, raising concern, developing pride, connecting people, and rewarding conservation effort. The council website includes a non-governmental organization directory and people finder that facilitate coordination. The council also presents awards in recognition of dedication to the Gulf.
The Gulf of Maine Council has been facilitated by the following factors:
The Gulf of Maine Council has encountered the following challenges:
In 2007, the Gulf of Maine Council produced a Lessons Learned document recommending that practitioners:
In addition, participants in the council say they have learned the importance of:
Gulf of Maine Council: http://www.gulfofmaine.org/
Mission and Guiding Principles: http://www.gulfofmaine.org/new-site/about-the-council/the-organization/
Gulf of Maine Habitat Restoration Web Portal: http://restoration.gulfofmaine.org/