Abstract
The problem of plastic pollution in the oceans, including both macro- and microplastics, is well-documented and has a number of adverse effects on nature, coastal communities and the maritime economy. For example, wildlife can become entangled in plastics, posing a hazard to shipping and contributing to the contamination of fish stocks. In Norway, for instance, commercial fishing contributes to approximately 380 tonnes of plastic per year, with much of this waste being generated by Norwegian marine activities. Such communities are therefore particularly susceptible to the negative environmental impacts that can arise from the marine economy.
It is becoming increasingly clear that complex problems such as plastic pollution from fisheries and aquaculture can only be solved through a combination of interdisciplinary collaboration, collective decision-making, and community advocacy.
Building on the expertise from Norway, various innovative approaches have been presented that stakeholders from marginalised communities, including islands, are adopting to address these problems. Numerous new and synergistic ways in which collaboration enables positive change have been presented, drawing on multidisciplinary approaches. Based on the precautionary principle, we have demonstrated how different scientific approaches, such as the Systems Design Approach (SDA), create space for collective change and the mitigation of contemporary complex problems.
It is becoming increasingly clear that complex problems such as plastic pollution from fisheries and aquaculture can only be solved through a combination of interdisciplinary collaboration, collective decision-making, and community advocacy.
Building on the expertise from Norway, various innovative approaches have been presented that stakeholders from marginalised communities, including islands, are adopting to address these problems. Numerous new and synergistic ways in which collaboration enables positive change have been presented, drawing on multidisciplinary approaches. Based on the precautionary principle, we have demonstrated how different scientific approaches, such as the Systems Design Approach (SDA), create space for collective change and the mitigation of contemporary complex problems.