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Authors

Perspective

The Ocean Equity Index is flawed, misleading, and lacks validation

Amelia Moore, Andrés M. Cisneros-Montemayor, Anna Zivian, Annet Pauwelussen, April Brown, Brian Francis O’Neill, Christine Knott, Cinda P. Scott, Corey Ridings, Gerald G. Singh, Grant Blume, Harriet Harden-Davies, Harshitha Sai Viswanathan, Hazem Almassry, Hekia Bodwitch, Jessica Brown, Leah M. Fusco, Leopoldo Gerhardinger, Lina María Saavedra-Díaz, Matthew J. Schneider, Mia Strand, Oliver Tiliouine, Peter J.S. Jones, Randall S. Abate, Russell Fielding, Ruth Akorli, Sarah Gutzmann, Sherry Pictou, Suchinta Arif, Wilf Swartz, Yoshitaka Ota, Yulan Kim
• 2026

The Ocean Equity Index (OEI)[1] is a newly proposed framework conceived as a rapid assessment of ocean initiatives with respect to their “status and progress toward” social equity, allowing for comparison across regions via a quantitative score. The Index, presented as a sum of twelve criteria scored between zero to three, is presented as a “standardized and transparent approach for measuring ocean equity”; yet, its construction is highly flawed, its scores are misleading and, rather than measuring equity, its application will further delegitimize incidents of inequity that do not fit the OEI’s scoring scheme. Given the pitfalls of standardized indices undermining the struggles for social justice and environmental conservation[2], we urge the authors to critically reassess their approach to indexing ocean equity and refrain from further application of the OEI.

Classification, colonialism, Environmental Justice, Environmental Law and Policy, Human Dimensions of Oceans: From a Sociological Perspective, Inequity, Ocean Justice, Political Economy, Scientific Knowledge, Social Equity

Perspective

Coastal Energy Equity in the Sundarbans Surrounding the Rampal Power Project

In southwestern Bangladesh, the Rampal coal power project has become a symbol of the tensions between development and environmental protection near the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest. Although promoted as a pathway to energy security, the project raises serious concerns about ecological damage, livelihood loss, and growing inequalities for local communities. Drawing on a critical environmental justice perspective and connecting it to the scholarship on ocean equity, this essay examines how uneven power relations shape the distribution of environmental risks and benefits in coastal Bangladesh.

Activism, Biodiversity Conservation, displacement, dispossession, Environmental Justice, Inequity, Ocean Justice, Political Economy, Pollution, Social Equity

Perspective

Rethinking Caste and Fisheries Governance on the South Indian Coast

In Devanampattinam, Tamil Nadu, a fishing community initially protested against rising inequality from new fishing technologies. Over time, social hierarchies emerged within this community as access to capital and political influence became concentrated among a few. This evolving dynamic highlights the complexities of caste and governance in coastal settings, emphasizing the need for inclusive policies.

Climate Change Adaptation, dispossession, Environmental Justice, Gender, Inequity, Intersectionality, Political Economy, Small Scale Fisheries

Perspective

PrepCom III and the Politics of Procedural Justice in the BBNJ Agreement

The United Nations discussions on ocean justice highlight procedural inequities in global decision-making, especially for small island developing states (SIDS). The BBNJ Agreement's implementation phase raises concerns about fair participation, resource distribution, and institutional design, affecting SIDS’ ability to influence outcomes. The upcoming COP1 will test equity in governance and procedural justice.

Biodiversity Conservation, Environmental Justice, Environmental Law and Policy, Equitable Data Access, Inequity, International Relations, Ocean Justice, Scientific Knowledge

Fieldwork

“We are not afraid and even if we were afraid we cannot show we are afraid because then that is giving them power”: Charter cities in Roatan, Honduras

In Roatán, Honduras, the ZEDE initiative PROSPERA exposes stark contrasts between luxury and local poverty. Promised jobs brought only temporary work, community division, and loss of ancestral land. As residents organize protests and face intimidation, they continue asserting their rights and dignity. Their struggle reflects enduring colonial patterns in development that shape social and economic realities across Latin America.