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Spurred by the advocacy of ocean-reliant communities, the blue economy has emerged as a charismatic vision for sustainable ocean development over the last fifteen years. Central to its charm rests a promise to transform human interactions with the ocean wherein extractive, inequitable and polluting ocean practices are transitioned-out in favour of activities that advance ecological sustainability, social justice and economic efficiency. Such promise raises the provocation: is the blue economy working to support a transformative vision for ocean development, and if not, what is it doing?

Reflecting on the blue economy experiences of Pacific ocean development actors, this pre-submission seminar details the findings of Philippa Louey’s doctoral research on the politics of the blue economy discourse. This research is grounded in three case studies: Oceanian regional organisations, the Cook Islands Government and the Locally Managed Marine Area Network. These distinct cases provide insight into the diverse strategies Pacific actors engage to (re)negotiate the sustainable ocean visions set out under the blue economy, and the complex political calculations that shape these interactions.

Speaker

Commencing her PhD in 2021, Pip Louey’s doctoral research examines the blue economy and the politics of sustainable ocean development in the Pacific Islands region. Her work is interested in how Oceanian actors negotiate the blue economy discourse: how they engage with it, why, and to what effect?

Prior to joining DPA, Pip worked as Engagement Officer at the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC). She has undertaken a research internship at the Pacific Network on Globalization (PANG) and served as the Project Officer for the UNSW Student Wellbeing Community of Practice (CoP) supporting research on the impact of COVID-19 and related university response measures on student wellbeing.

Pip’s doctoral project is supervised by Dr Anouk Ride, Maureen Penjueli and Dr Hugh Govan, with sincere thanks to the mentorship of A/Prof. Greg Fry, Dr Matthew Allen, and Prof. Paul D’Arcy

Contact the host of A transformative blue economy? Discourse, hegemony and passive revolution in Oceania