In each edition of the MSP Challenge, countries are coded by colours. This is to help users to distance themselves a bit from the real-life countries and assume a more playful mode - one where they are in control and can try out new things. The idea is to make plans for a managerial area without thinking too much about the how the real-life politicians and policy-makers from the actual country might think about it. Thus, the countries profiles are explained to the users for context and objective specification only. It is up to the users to decide what they want to achieve in MSP Challenge and how.
Click on the tab corresponding to the edition you are interested in and check the profile of the purple country in that edition.
Country Purple has the largest marine presence in the North Sea (compared with neighbouring countries) and has had a strong presence there since the 1960s when oil and gas deposits were found. Before then, fishing was, and still is, of great importance. Today, commercial fishing in the North Sea is a large business, but also seeing strong competition with emerging sectors, such as green energy forms and aquaculture. The dominating sector is, however, still oil and gas extraction, which the country's economy largely depends on.
The country Purple government has a Blue Growth perspective, which means that exploitation of marine resources is prioritized, with fishing and material extraction as historically important activities. At the same time, there is currently talk about creating more conservation areas, especially those with coral reefs closer to the Oslo Fjord.
The domestic case concerns planning for a scenario with continued oil- and gas rigs extraction and commercial fishing, but with growing interest in renewable energy (both wind, wave and current) as well as more conservation efforts, both close to land and close to neighbouring countries. A current concern is also fishers who are not or no longer participants in the EU's Common Fisheries Policy, who are difficult to negotiate with. Planning border activities is therefore not easy, and collaboration depends on sectors across borders. The country wants to propose a new plan for its North sea area, with special attention given to the needs of the following three sectors:
The country needs to be mindful of international traffic at sea, both shipping lanes and passenger traffic (i.e. should not/cannot be changed). In addition, any national defence needs must be left unchanged. Finally, attention needs to be paid to environmental conditions and ecological qualities in the area, e.g. wind speed, currents, various species, pressures, biodiversity, etc. that may affect marine activities.
Country Purple's sea area can actually better be understood as consisting of two connected ones: an area in the Baltic Proper region, and an area that actually a Gulf. In terms of marine ecosystem and human activities both are quite different. The latter is more oriented towards the country's capital city, with its tourism and its busy port, while the former is much more oriented towards other more commercial ports and wider shipping industry. The country is a westerly oriented country, situated between countries Pink and Red with which it has strong, historic ties. Ties with country Aqua, which it borders to the east, exist (in several different ways), but are emotionally very weak.
Purple's government indeed likes to keep the two sub-areas mentioned above separate in its ambitions. The government feels that the Gulf needs protection and can simultaneously benefit much more from (marine) tourism, think of boating, sports, artisanal fishing, diving, the works. Fishing further out into the Gulf should still be possible too - the unique brackish ecosystem has given the fishing industry an edge here. In the Baltic Proper area the needs of the shipping sector are paramount. Still, the government recognizes (perhaps a bit reluctantly) that there are some opportunities for offshore wind farm areas in that region too.
The government is looking for a scenario where shipping, fishing and tourism are catered to first, marine protection second, and offshore renewable energy third. This latter sector should only get Baltic Proper areas. Current marine protection sights make a lot of sense, they should be properly implemented first before additional areas are found.
Internationally, the government needs to be mindful of its membership of the EU and NATO. It enjoys these westerly ties, and is weary of developments towards the east. Yet the westerly ties also introduce some influences that this country is still getting used to, notably when it comes to environmental protection. Other influences, e.g. concerning energy security, are not so difficult to deal with at all - the country happily benefits from them.
The Purple authority area has an important piece of marine real estate: the very entrance to the Clyde river, the beginning (or end?) of the estuary, or 'firth'. All big ships coming in and out of the major port up the river go through this authority area. Simultaneously, the area also provides access to several major Lochs (or gulfs). The Lochs and small towns around them are major tourist attractions. In turn both the Lochs and the river provide access to the rest of the country. So if something goes wrong here, the whole country will be affected.
The authority wants first and foremost to maintain much of the status quo. The heavy ship traffic, most of them container vessels, need to be able to continue. The touristic activities in this area are also well-established, and shouldn't necessarily grow either, as this might damage the Lochs ecosystems.
The authority is looking for a scenario where nothing really radical happens. The estuary/firth is narrow, the area is busy, there is simply limited room for additional new activities. The only real concern is that both commercial and touristic vessels can coexist safely in this area. With the region's and world's further economic growth, this is a valid concern. Economic growth could lead to increases in both types of ship traffic, after all.
Within the wider Celtic Sea context, the authority needs to be mindful of the attention it gets from the other authority areas and nations. Not so much in a negative sense, more in a positive sense. The economic and geographic importance of this area gives this authority a lot of power. Perhaps too much, sometimes?
Co-funded by the European Union.