Guidelines

Abstract

It would be convenient if one could, once and for all, formulate a bunch of recipes for the proper ecological management of estuaries in any part of the world. However, every society has developed its own ways of managing problems. Especially in its legislation, some societies will often implicitly express their views how things should be handled, or, very explicitly, how they should not be handled. In other societies problems will be faced only at the time they emerge. Procedures may depend heavily on legal statements in one society, while in the other they are elaborated afterwards. In some societies comprehensive plans will be worked out, dealing with every issue at stake. In others, a simple guideline is used to work out effective management. So, a recipe, which would suit all is not possible. Yet, one could try to stipulate general ways of approaching problems, which in any society will be recognized in some way or the other by most people.