Washington Maritime Blue and the Blue Economy: using diversity and inclusion to advance social justice in the maritime industry

Abstract

The Blue Economy movement is gaining global traction among marine resource stakeholders, but the concept is defined in multiple ways and some emerging initiatives are inconsistent in their adherence to one of the core founding Blue Economy principles of advancing social equity. In the United States, beyond maritime settings, social inequity is increasingly addressed through diversity and inclusion initiatives aimed at increasing representation of women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups. Washington Maritime Blue, a strategic planning initiative tasked with accelerating growth of the Washington state maritime industry, provides an informative example of how synergies between the Blue Economy concept and principles of diversity and inclusion can be used to advance the equity principles of the Blue Economy and address locally situated inequities with regards to race and gender. Through observations from Washington Maritime Blue meetings, analysis of demographic and wage data, and stakeholder interviews, this paper demonstrates that Washington maritime leaders have opportunities to improve efforts towards improving diversity and inclusion throughout the maritime career pipeline and shape the global Blue Economy discourse. This paper also provides a business justification for prioritization of diversity and inclusion in the Washington maritime industry. Through targeted efforts to address race- and gender-based inequities in employment in the Washington maritime industry, Washington Maritime Blue leaders have an opportunity to position themselves at the forefront of the global Blue Economy movement and advance social justice in the state of Washington.