Blue Degrowth Network

https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/blue_degrowth_network

English

What is Blue Degrowth?

Blue Degrowth is a counter framework to hegemonic blue growth proposals and exposes contradictions in their uncritical assumption of the growth paradigm.

In mainstream blue growth discourses, the ocean is constructed as a new economic frontier that is able to provide business opportunities and simultaneously conserve marine ecosystems in need. Market incentives coupled with technological innovation are supposed to allow the ocean to develop sustainably and benefit coastal communities along the way.

However, as per profound degrowth research, the growth imperative underlying blue growth initiatives (such as seabed mining, intensification of marine tourism, industrial intensive marine aquaculture, among others) inherently contradicts its alleged goals of social and ecological wellbeing. On the ground research also empirically proves how ocean and coastal grabbing as part of profit-maximizing blue growth projects destroy marine and coastal ecologies and harm people’s livelihoods. It is to note that the destruction and harm is asymmetrically distributed globally and affects the Global South and the marginalized most.

What do Blue Degrowth advocates do?

Blue Degrowth advocates criticize and oppose the dominant, capitalist way of treating the oceans and explore alternative ways of relating to them. For that, Blue Degrowth scholars gather knowledge on the topic, voice their critique and alternative perspectives in both alternative and mainstream spaces, and learn from the knowledge, analysis and demands of coastal communities and territorial struggles against blue growth projects.

People involved in the Blue Degrowth network are open to learning more about pluriverse imaginaries of the oceans, to developing alternatives and working together towards socio-political and ecological change.

Learn more about Blue Degrowth here:

• Hadjimichael, M. (2018) A call for a blue degrowth: Unravelling the European Union's fisheries and maritime policies. Marine Policy, 94, 158-164.
• Special Feature: Editorial of Sustainability Science - "Blue Degrowth and the Politics of the Sea: Rethinking the Blue Economy" (2020) (external link)
• Scheidel, A., Ertör, I. and Demaria, F. (2021) “Degrowth in agrarian and fisheries studies”, Chapter 69 in Handbook of Critical Agrarian Studies, Akram-Lodhi, A.K. et al. (eds.), Edward Elgar.
• Hadjimichael, M. and Ertör, I. (2020) “In Defence of Blue Degrowth”. Blog of the Undisciplined Environments Collective. Available at: https://undisciplinedenvironments.org/2020/05/22/blue-degrowth-are-the-seas-and-oceans-the-new-fuel-for-an-infinite-growth-desire/ (external link) 

The Blue Degrowth Network!

The Blue Degrowth Network is a new project and you are welcome to join! As of February 2025, we are just starting to recruit members and are planning our first online meetings.

Goal: The network aims to bring together and is open for anyone critically interested in, engaged with and struggling against blue growth projects and policies, or advocating for counter-hegemonic ways of relating to the oceans.

What: The network shall be a space for sharing and receiving information via the mailing list and meetings as well as a meeting point for proactive thinking and action, for developing ideas and strategizing.

Format: Network members will meet 3-4 times a year online and keep in contact via the mailing list to share information and develop ideas. The main language of communication is spoken English.

Who: Members of the network are ocean enthusiasts, marine social/natural scientists, environmental justice activists, NGO workers, (blue) degrowthers, and probably much more that is to be determined! It is not necessary that members identify themselves as blue degrowthers.

When: Click HERE for the date of the next online meeting of the Blue Degrowth Network!

How: If you would like to join the network, please send two emails: 

1. Subscribe to the mailing list via an empty mail to blue_degrowth_network-subscribe@lists.riseup.net and confirm your subscription upon receiving a return email.
2. Send an email to bluedegrowthnetwork@riseup.net to say hello, if you wish to be onboarded via an online meeting or have any questions! The facilitator will reply to your questions and introduce you to the workings of the network.

Organizers: The networks initiators are: Maria Hadjimichael, Irmak Ertör, Borja Nogué-Algueró and Jing Sun. Jing (she/her) is the facilitator of the network and moderator of the mailing list.

Blue Degrowth Network Mailing List

The mailing list is a space for members and the community of the Blue Degrowth Network to share and receive information on blue degrowth (or similar) related topics and communicate with fellow subscribers.

All subscribers to the mailing list are part of the network community and thus either members or potential/yet-to-be-members of the network. Members have taken part in at least one online meeting.

Topics discussed are: blue (de)growth | blue justice | ocean imaginaries | blue economy | etc.

Subscribers are invited to share: articles | anecdotes | events | discussion questions | working group invitations | project ideas | etc.

This list's status is a "private-working-group", which means that subscriptions must be approved and only subscribers can post, view archives, access shared documents and see the list of fellow subscribers.

There is no room for harassment or any form of discrimination such as ableism, sexism, racism, antisemitism, classism, anti-LGBTQIA+.