Ireland’s blue fix: exploring blue economy governmentalities in Irish coastal communities

Concurrently, oceans are framed as “frontiers” for exploration and extraction through the blue economy. Approaches to oceans governance that investigate and critically examine how such narratives are dominating global policy, and producing unequal outcomes is needed. <br><br>This thesis conceptualises the blue economy as a project that shapes relationships between society, the oceans, governments and markets.

Through a genealogical analysis of Ireland’s marine plan Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth (2012-2020), the thesis presents three problematisations of government (following a Foucauldian approach). These are advanced through specific rationalities and technologies. This thesis shows how these blue economy governmentalities construct “fixes” linked to offshore renewable energy, aquaculture, marine protected areas and tourism, following existing research.