Science is not enough: The role of legitimacy in the governance of marine activities

Several scientific programs are investigating the potential for the mesopelagic zone to provide food, fish meal, and nutraceutical supplements for human food systems. However, it is not clear whether fishing in the mesopelagic zone will be granted a social license to operate. Three analogous marine cases and three rounds of stakeholder engagement identified diverse perspectives about the pragmatic, moral, and cognitive legitimacy of human activity in the mesopelagic zone. Therefore, contestation about mesopelagic activities can be expected regardless of the state of scientific knowledge. This is because an activity’s social license to operate is grounded not only in scientific fact, but also in notions of legitimacy. The consultations also show that, despite uncertainty, stakeholders are already employing strategies to support or challenge the legitimacy of mesopelagic fishing, even in this nascent stage. Including stakeholder deliberation alongside current science programs can improve policy advice processes by uncovering important perceptions of legitimacy at an early stage. New governance arrangements such as a multi-stakeholder council, can anticipate and facilitate contestation, envisioning more socially acceptable outcomes for the management of the mesopelagic zone.