A Stakeholder Analysis of the Creation of High Seas Marine Protected Areas within the Antarctic Treaty System

This study evaluates the utility of stakeholder analysis for understanding the relationships among actors involved in creating a marine protected area (MPA) in the Southern Ocean. It relies on the Australian Centre of Excellence on Risk Analysis (ACERA) method of critical stakeholder analysis, a concise, step-by-step model to identify stakeholders, assess their perceptions and values, and reveal power relations. The study uses the first two steps of the ACERA method to analyze stakeholders—in this case individuals speaking on behalf of organizations—within the Australian delegation of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) concerning the establishment of an MPA in the Southern Ocean. The study reveals both benefits and weaknesses in the ACERA method. It also portrays conflicting views among these stakeholders, and that the process of identifying and analyzing stakeholder interests is highly complex and dynamic.