Images: Rebecca Eriksson, Nordregio

3. A just and equitable integration of Indigenous and local knowledge

Taken together, the preceding sections show that ensuring justice and equity in the digital transformation of MSP depends not on the tools themselves, but on how they are used and for what purposes. Consequently, a common theme throughout this study is that the digital turn of MSP is seen less as a technical issue and more as a question of justice and equity, shaped by assumptions, trade-offs and intentions.

Drawing on project findings and case studies, this section outlines seven key messages from the North Atlantic region. These messages provide a starting point for policymakers, marine governance authorities and planners to discuss the implications of ILK integration into more digital MSP processes.

3.1 Implement MSP as a continuous and purpose-driven process for long-term change

This research finds that truly just and equitable MSP processes require the establishment of a clear objective and intent to collaborate with Indigenous and local communities from the outset. As one study participant emphasised during a workshop, “planning follows purpose”, highlighting the importance of being explicit about why and for whom MSP is undertaken. Clarifying objectives in this way also shapes how MSP processes are expected to function over time as conditions change and planning evolves. This study finds that successful MSP requires the framing and implementation of planning as a continuous, inclusive and adaptive process that creates space for ongoing negotiation of how different objectives are prioritised and whose knowledge informs decisions.

To enable this, structured but adaptable methods are needed. Systematic “stepping stones” or planned stages of consultation that allow a few decisions to be addressed at several points rather than all at once, are identified as a valuable approach. In these stages, agreements, disagreements and the rationale behind decisions are recorded and revisited, creating more predictable and transparent channels for input throughout MSP processes. Because communities are dynamic, such methods should also allow stakeholders to revise plans or withdraw input when circumstances change, ensuring outcomes reflect current knowledge and maintain local ownership of data and input.

This research also highlights the role of digital tools in facilitating such flexibility when designed with equity and justice in mind. Digital platforms and interactive maps can democratise participation by enabling stakeholders to propose ideas, co-design plans, track progress and follow how their input shapes outcomes and how different priorities are weighed in decision-making. Additionally, these tools can support continuous, adaptive MSP by maintaining accessible records of decisions, tracking how conditions and priorities evolve and providing platforms for ongoing dialogue. However, physical engagement alongside digital tools remains essential to build trust and relationships, as well as to ensure the accessibility and inclusion of all stakeholders, including those with limited digital access and literacy.

Cases from the region: Sullom Voe Master Plan, Shetland Islands

The Sullom Voe Master Plan demonstrates how structured, iterative engagement supports adaptive planning. When declining tanker movements at Sullom Voe Harbour prompted Shetland Islands Council to reconsider the harbour's future use, they implemented a two-phase public engagement process that allowed decisions to emerge gradually rather than all at once.

The process began with face-to-face meetings and four public community events to gather initial views and map community features. Feedback from this phase indicated widespread support for exploring new uses, shaping the direction of subsequent planning. The team then categorised mapped data based on legal protections, creating Potential Development Zones. These zones were presented during a second round of public engagement, in which further feedback was incorporated into the final version.

This stepping-stone approach made it visible how competing objectives were balanced and created predictable channels for input. Dedicated meetings with fisheries ensured that their knowledge informed decisions, with data ownership residing with fishers themselves. They controlled how data was used, agreed on appropriate levels of detail and could withdraw consent if needed. Different mapping approaches were adapted for each stakeholder segment to reflect their distinct practices.

This case illustrates how accessibility and transparency are maintained through physical engagement alongside digital tools. While digital platforms enabled spatial mapping and visualisation, face-to-face meetings ensured stakeholders could shape outcomes as the plan evolved, rather than simply responding to predetermined proposals.

More detailed descriptions of this case study are available in the forthcoming workshop report, to be published spring 2026.

3.2 Enhance capacity and reflexivity among authorities on how digital tools and data use affect planning processes and outcomes

As MSP processes increasingly rely on digital tools, this research finds that authorities and planners require greater awareness of how such tools and data use shape planning processes and outcomes.

A "planning follows purpose" approach recognises that the underlying reasoning for planning shapes the methods and tools applied, as well as the data and knowledge considered relevant and ultimately integrated into MSP. Accordingly, authorities at national, regional and municipal levels would benefit from strengthening two complementary skill sets: first, soft skills such as facilitation, negotiation, participatory design and reflexive thinking; second, technical skills for ethical use of digital tools and data. Combining these capabilities enables authorities to interpret diverse knowledge, analyse complex data, mediate between stakeholders and ensure that decisions respond to local needs and legal obligations.

In turn, other actors with less formal mandates, such as fishing organisations and local interest groups, may need complementary skills for communicating their knowledge and accessing digital tools. Where gaps exist, authorities and planners can offer platforms, guidance or training to reduce participatory disparities.

Cases from the region: Local knowledge in Norwegian Fisheries Management

Norway's experience with integrating fisheries data into fisheries management illustrates both the potential and limitations of combining interviews with digital tracking systems. Since the 1980s, the Directorate of Fisheries has collected spatial data on fishing activities through interviews with fishers, later supplemented by vessel monitoring systems (VMS), Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) and electronic logbook data. These data are made publicly available through the digital mapping platform "Yggdrasil".

This case demonstrates that who collects and interprets data matters and affects outcomes. Building trust with fishing communities required specialised competence and understanding of local contexts to avoid misinterpretation. Without this, data risks being misused or reinforcing existing biases. For instance, using catch volumes as indicators can favour large vessels over small-scale fishers, who may depend more heavily on specific fishing grounds.

The Directorate’s approach, built on sustained trust and long-term engagement with fishers, showed that interview-based fisheries data were comparable to tracking data and often provided more detail than tracking data alone. However, the approach also reveals tensions. Making fisheries data publicly accessible through digital platforms assumes a willingness among fishers to have their knowledge mapped and shared, which is not always the case, particularly when such data may inform decisions that restrict access to fishing grounds. This highlights the need to pair technical capacity with reflexivity about power dynamics and respect for community autonomy in determining how knowledge is integrated.

More detailed descriptions of this case study are available in the forthcoming workshop report, to be published spring 2026.

3.3 Establish clear institutional guidelines and roles

For successful integration of ILK into MSP, planning authorities would benefit from developing clear guidelines that detail responsibilities across all stages of knowledge integration, from collection and validation to interpretation and application. Without such guidelines and defined roles, it becomes unclear who is responsible for engaging communities, validating data and information and integrating insights. This ambiguity creates risks of misinterpreting ILK and eroding community trust.

Establishing clear roles and responsibilities could be combined with systematic documentation that links decisions to MSP outcomes. This enables accountability and traceability throughout the planning process. Digital tools can enhance this transparency by making documentation accessible, but they should be implemented thoughtfully to avoid creating administrative barriers.

This research also highlights that, before integrating ILK, planning authorities should build a shared understanding of what it means in their context and how it can support MSP. This awareness, supported by formal mandates and clear indicators, helps ensure lasting impact and strengthens trust between authorities and Indigenous and local communities.

3.4 Balance local and national interests through multi-level dialogue

The study findings suggest that, by decentralising responsibilities where appropriate, planning authorities can support MSP processes by leveraging local expertise and recognising the variation and value of different knowledge across local, regional and national scales.

Supporting this, this research identifies a need for structured and continuous multi-level dialogue between planning levels to ensure that international agendas and national objectives are properly localised. It is also important to gain a better understanding of local priorities among authorities. Such alignment can reconcile conflicts between governance levels and create shared MSP visions.

Digital tools can support this by connecting fragmented communication efforts, thereby reducing the duplication of stakeholder input and enhancing transparency. Additionally, institutionalising dialogue through recurring forums, cross-scale advisory groups or digital collaboration platforms makes planning more coherent, transparent and adaptive. Such an approach helps ensure that national objectives are achieved in ways that reflect local conditions, capacities and values, transforming national goals into meaningful local action.

3.5 Design adaptive processes for engaging evolving Indigenous and local communities

Identifying who is "local" is complex, as Indigenous and local communities often transcend administrative boundaries and vary across contexts, directly influencing their participation in MSP. Equally important is recognising that Indigenous and local communities are not static but rather, they undergo demographic, environmental and social changes over time, and their knowledge, practices and priorities evolve. MSP processes should therefore continuously adapt to engage communities as they change.

To enable this, planning authorities would benefit from establishing continuous and participatory assessments alongside regular review processes, with clear responsibilities for updating both how communities are identified and their evolving knowledge and priorities. These processes should use bottom-up approaches that recognise both use values (e.g. fisheries, recreational) and non-use values (e.g. ecosystem services, cultural values) as evidence alongside scientific data. Context-specific indicators that consider social, economic and environmental dynamics can support this work, and digital tools can institutionalise these processes through monitoring, transparent reporting and iterative updates, while accommodating diverse and evolving definitions of “local”.

Moreover, the findings suggest that providing accessible summaries of previous participation rounds and planning decisions helps prevent the exclusion of new community members. It also fosters transparency about how communities have been involved over time and builds continuity in planning processes, even as communities change. Scenario planning was further identified as an enabler for proactive, long-term planning that anticipates how communities and their relationships to marine environments may evolve, shifting MSP from being reactive to proactive.

3.6 Strengthen local collaboration through peer-learning and data accessibility

Insights from the study highlight that North Atlantic countries would benefit from facilitating peer learning between communities with shared characteristics and challenges. Small and island communities, including those in coastal areas and around fjords in Greenland, Scotland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, often face similar contexts. This could make targeted exchange more impactful than broad national comparisons. Structured dialogue forums could further be established or built upon to enable these communities to share local insights on MSP implementation, communication strategies and the use of inclusive methods for integrating ILK.

Complementing this, ensuring that regional data initiatives follow open standards would support community-level and cross-border collaboration by enhancing accessibility for local actors, such as municipalities, community groups, NGOs and universities. If locally sourced data are made openly available, these actors can access and work with information they have provided, supporting data ownership and ensuring that communities retain control over their contributions. Such accessibility enables local actors to use data for community-level planning, facilitates knowledge exchange across borders and could also strengthen their capacity and interest in participating in MSP processes.

Cases from the region: Integrating local knowledge into Faroese marine governance

The Faroe Islands case highlights how small island communities with similar characteristics could benefit from exchanging knowledge and experiences in marine planning and management, as well as sharing data structures. With 29 municipalities of different sizes and resources, the Faroe Islands currently manage marine space through sectoral regulations without established MSP. While digital tools are emerging that provide spatial data, such as the Environmental Agency´s Føroyakort , experiential and cultural knowledge is not yet systematically incorporated.

The Faroe Islands share characteristics with other North Atlantic communities, such as a dependency on marine resources, coexistence of small-scale and industrial fisheries, strong maritime cultural heritage and emerging pressures from aquaculture and renewable energy. Structured peer learning between communities facing similar contexts could therefore support the Faroe Islands in developing approaches to integrate ILK alongside scientific and sectoral expertise. Given that data gaps at the local level are often highlighted in the Faroese context, shared digital infrastructure following open standards would enable communities to access data and support cross-border knowledge exchange. This accessibility could strengthen capacity and interest in the Faroe Islands in developing inclusive MSP and marine management approaches.

More detailed descriptions of this case study are available in the forthcoming workshop report, to be published spring 2026.

3.7 Facilitate regular exchanges between countries across the North Atlantic region

Study findings show that regular cross-national forums and workshops among North Atlantic countries can create valuable spaces for learning and sharing practical approaches. Since planning decisions sometimes rely on uncertain or incomplete data, these exchanges could focus on best practices in data transparency, addressing data gaps, updating information systems and developing quality assurance indicators across different knowledge types. In addition, developing shared cross-border digital infrastructure would complement these exchanges and support collaboration at all scales.

Building on initiatives like Nordic Spatial , countries can work together to establish common data standards and open-source platforms that improve access to harmonised data across borders. This would strengthen regional MSP capacity for diverse actors at multiple governance levels. Integrating ILK alongside scientific data further ensures that MSP reflects context-specific realities. Knowledge sharing can also support continuous improvement of participation strategies, enabling countries to adapt successful practices while avoiding common pitfalls. These exchanges could complement community-level peer learning by addressing the institutional and policy frameworks that shape MSP implementation.