The maintenance costs of marine natural capital: A case study from the initial assessment of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in France

Type Article
Date 2014-11
Language English
Author(s) Levrel Harold1, Jacob Celine1, Bailly Denis2, Charles Mahe4, Guyader OlivierORCID1, Aoubid Scheherazade5, Bas AdelineORCID2, Cujus Alexia5, Fresard Marjolaine3, Girard Sophie1, Hay Julien3, Laurans Yann6, Paillet JeromeORCID4, Perez Jose1, Mongruel Remi1
Affiliation(s) 1 : IFREMER, Ctr Brest, UMR AMURE, Marine Econ Unit,ZI Pointe Diable, F-29280 Plouzane, France.
2 : Univ Brest, UMR AMURE, IFREMER, Ctr Brest, F-29280 Plouzane, France.
3 : Univ Brest, UMR AMURE, F-29334 Quimper, France.
4 : Marine Protected Area Agcy, F-29229 Brest 2, France.
5 : ECOWHAT, F-75018 Paris, France.
6 : Inst Dev Durable & Relat Int, F-75006 Paris, France.
Source Marine Policy (0308-597X) (Elsevier Sci Ltd), 2014-11 , Vol. 49 , P. 37-47
DOI 10.1016/j.marpol.2014.03.028
WOS© Times Cited 11
Keyword(s) Maintenance cost, Marine ecosystems, Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Economic analysis
Abstract There are two ways of assessing the costs of environmental degradation: as the costs associated with the loss of benefits resulting from the degradation of natural capital, and as the maintenance costs required to compensate for the actual or potential degradation of natural capital. The first of these methods is based on the Total Economic Value (TEV) of benefits forgone because of the depletion of ecosystem services delivered by marine biodiversity. The second method is based on the costs required to maintain a good state of marine biodiversity, one which makes it possible to deliver ecosystem services.

This paper gives an illustration of this second approach. It details how these maintenance costs have been calculated in the initial assessment of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) in France. It addresses nine problem areas – corresponding to nine sources of environmental degradation – from non-native invasive species to oil spills. It gives a total figure for these degradation costs (around 2 billion Euros). The results are compared with those of other Member States who have taken similar approaches in the context of the MSFD. One key conclusion is that it is not really possible to make meaningful comparisons at this stage, since the methods of data collection and the nature of the costs are very different. The need to develop such assessments in a standardised way is noted.
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Levrel Harold, Jacob Celine, Bailly Denis, Charles Mahe, Guyader Olivier, Aoubid Scheherazade, Bas Adeline, Cujus Alexia, Fresard Marjolaine, Girard Sophie, Hay Julien, Laurans Yann, Paillet Jerome, Perez Jose, Mongruel Remi (2014). The maintenance costs of marine natural capital: A case study from the initial assessment of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in France. Marine Policy, 49, 37-47. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2014.03.028 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00188/29967/