Blue Economy or Blue Growth initiatives see the ocean as the new economic frontier. The vast developmental opportunities offered by the world’s coasts and oceans have attracted the attention of governments, private enterprises, philanthropic organizations, and international conservation organizations.
The largest group of ocean-users – women and men who service, fish and trade from small-scale fisheries (SSF) – argue that they have been marginalized from the dialogue between international environmental and economic actors that is determining strategies for the future of the ocean.
Many commentators argue that policies favouring larger scale economic and environmental conservation interests jeopardize the livelihoods of millions of women and men, risking the food security of around four billion consumers globally, including a billion low-income consumers in the developing world.
The Assessment Task
This assignment comprises two main deliverables, a Literature Review and a Whitepaper. These two parts are to be joined into a single, professional report by appropriate linking text.
- Conduct a literature review on the schools of thought promoting the Blue Economy. Identify the seminal works on the subject and discuss the role that key authors have played in establishing the Blue Economy as a key goal of sustainable development. (50% of wordcount).
- Summarise the concerns of the supporters of small-scale fisheries (SSF) in respect to current international policies. In your view, have SSF received the attention from international stakeholders that they deserve? (40% of wordcount).
Note the recent study by Caldeira et al (2019) identifying the waste arisings from each stage of the fish supply chain. Assuming a similar situation occurs in SSF, on which part of the supply chain should SSF focus their process improvement efforts? (10% of wordcount).
The word count limit for this assessment is 1800 words (+/- 10%). In line with normal practice, tables, figures, references and appendices are excluded from this word count.
You may draw on relevant non-academic as well as academic sources to support your discussion, providing those sources are sufficiently authoritative.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this assessment, you will be able to:
| c. Assess the implications of the circular economy model for organisational functions, processes and leadership. |
| d. Identify the stakeholders impacted by the circular economy, evaluating the opportunities and barriers that may arise for these individuals and groups. |
| e. Synthesise core ideas and concepts from a variety of sources to produce informed recommendations. |
| f) Design and articulate proposals to effect sustainable change that recognises the impact on, and implications for, individuals, groups and society. |
Assessment Support
Specific support sessions for this assessment will be provided by the module team and notified through NILE, You can also access individual support and guidance for your assessments from the Learning Development team. The Skills Hub is another useful source of online support for assessments and academic skills.
Academic Integrity and Misconduct
Unless this is a group assessment, the work you produce must be your own, with work taken from any other source properly referenced and attributed. For the avoidance of doubt this means that it is an infringement of academic integrity and, therefore, academic misconduct to ask someone else to carry out all or some of the work for you, whether paid or unpaid, or to use the work of another student whether current or previously submitted.
For further guidance on what constitutes plagiarism, contract cheating or collusion, or any other infringement of academic integrity, please read the University’s Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy. Also useful resources to help with understanding academic integrity are available from UNPAC .
