Legitimacy Has Risks and Benefits for Effective International Marine Management

Abstract

This chapter focuses on a factor that much social science scholarship connects with compliance and thus more effective institutions: legitimacy. A legitimate institution enjoys public trust, which may increase compliance with its rules and decrease investment of scarce resources in coercion and enforcement through, for example, fines or sanctions. The chapter discusses that legitimacy does not only contribute to compliance, but can at some stage also lead to situations where scrutiny declines and compliance levels erode.

Keywords: legitimacy, compliance, marine governance, fisheries, marine institutions