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Sustainable development

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The concept of Sustainable Development, in its broad sense, is not new, corresponding only to the
most recent expression of the ethical stance that regulates man's relations with the environment
and the responsibilities of each generation with its subsequent ones, implying the consideration of
economic (growth and efficiency), social (equity and poverty reduction) and environmental factors
(proper management of natural resources).

However, the consensus required for its application to different human activities, or at least in
relation to its conceptual validity, is relatively recent. It should be borne in mind that throughout the
course of civilization economic processes were not of the magnitude necessary to significantly
interfere with ocean resources in terms of both direct exploitation and the effects of degradation
and pollution.

Just as for the Europe of the mid-fifteenth century the ocean was seen as unlimited, so too the
magnitude of its living resources and its capacity for assimilation of waste could, for all practical
purposes, be regarded as infinite even in the early twentieth century .

Population growth and coastal occupation, as well as industrial and agricultural processes, in
addition to fishing, focused on intensive production, would radically alter this picture. In 1987, the
World Commission on Environment and Development (CMMAD) published Our Common Future,
with the core of the formulation of the principles of Sustainable Development, the concept of which
was established by the Brundtland Report.

The message of the Brundtland Report was about the possibility of finding a path of economic
development for the global economy that meets the needs of the present generation without
compromising the chances of future in satisfying yours. According to the Report, in essence,
Sustainable Development is a process of transformation in which the exploitation of resources, the
direction of investments, the direction of technological development and institutional change
harmonize and reinforce the present and future potential, in order to meet human needs and
aspirations.

In 1992, representatives of 179 countries attended the United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, which resulted in the approval of a number of
documents, including the Rio Declaration on the Environment and Development, the Convention on
Climate Change, the Declaration of Principles on Forests, the Convention on Biological Diversity and
Agenda 21, which is one of its most important results. Barbieri (1997) believes that, despite all the
problems involved in its implementation, Agenda 21 is a guide to achieving Sustainable
Development, since it is a great inventory of the problems that humanity faces and the measures
necessary to face it, within a global perspective that characterizes the most advanced stage of the
perception of the problems of economic development and the environment.
UNCED's definition of Sustainable Development emphasizes the aspect of inter-generic balance:
"The ability to respond to the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs."

"Sustainable Development must take into account the balance between the needs of society, the
economy and the environment". Other approaches favor the relationship between the environment
and economic development, for example: "Sustainability is the doctrine by which economic growth
and development can be maintained over time, and must take place within the limits determined by
ecology, in broad sense - by the interrelation of human beings with their activities, the biosphere
and the physical and chemical laws that govern it .... Therefore, environmental protection and
economic development are complementary processes, not antagonistic. "

According to Sachs (1986, 2000), the development required in the present is directed towards the
positioning of sustainability, which can be considered as follows:

- Political-institutional: through democratization and restructuring of public power, by strengthening

- Social: for the generation of jobs, improvement of the profile of income distribution and patterns
of consumption (so that they are focused on the well-being of the community);

- Technological: by means of the modification of the productive processes;

- Ecological: by considering the physical-biological basis in development strategies, ie not exceeding

- Ethical: values and beliefs that justify and guide anthropic actions; that involves the change of
behaviour in relation to the nature and to the own human being;

- Cultural: for the recognition and consideration of the diversity of customs and traditions of the
various peoples of the world; and

- Global: by the understanding that environmental problems do not know territorial or economic
barriers, national or international, institutionalized, affecting the quality of life of several nations.
Thus, the idea of sustainable use of the oceans, in a broad sense, calls into question the
responsibility for the effects, not only in space, but also in time, for any action that has them as a
scenario.

The definition of this responsibility becomes more complex when the ocean is understood as a
public good, due to its role as a climate regulator, means of transportation and biodiversity reserve,
on a global scale.

The characteristics of free access and common ownership of ocean resources will determine the
adoption of regulatory measures, with economic, political and social repercussions, even in areas
with well defined national jurisdiction.

Sustainable Development will therefore have its central element in the preservation of living
resources, by limiting direct and indirect negative effects, in order to guarantee the spatial and
 temporal balance of natural systems. The challenge of Sustainable Development is therefore to
manage the conflicts generated by the need for economic growth and the importance of preserving
environmental resources in order to achieve the goal of intergenerational equality.

The concept allows the economic development and protection of the environment, to harmonize
Economy and Ecology. Sustainable Development can only subsidize the effective exercise of
democracy and citizenship, which are based on an informed society capable of discussing its
problems and solutions.

Criteria and problems for the sustainability proposal to fulfil its objective, an analytical approach is
necessary that attends to each one of its particular aspects. For example, a Sustainable Development
proposal for fishery resources should ideally be geared towards simultaneously addressing the
various "sustainability":

- ecological sustainability, i.e. the maintenance of the target resource and related species, at levels
that guarantee its future use, as well as its quality and resilience - resistance to impact;

- sustainability of the ecosystems involved; socioeconomic sustainability - maintenance of natural

- sustainability of communities - maintenance and strengthening of community structures that

- institutional sustainability - maintaining the financial, administrative and organizational capacity

An ideal framework is thus set up, where it is possible to maintain exploitation indefinitely on a given
resource, which necessarily means reducing its original population levels, without, however,
compromising the equilibrium of the ecosystem and other species involved; ensure the economic
viability of the enterprise and the equitable distribution of its income; preserve the structure and
cohesion of the participating communities and, moreover, preserve the institutional order that
guarantees the management and maintenance of the system as a whole.

Many complicating factors stand in the way of this ideal scenario:. To what extent is it possible to
reconcile exploitation of a resource with the maintenance of environmental balance? Or, as defined
in Chapter 17 of Agenda 21 (Item 17.74 c) - "Maintain or rebuild marine species populations at levels
capable of producing the maximum sustainable collection, within the limits set by relevant
environmental and economic factors, taking into account the relations between species ".

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