Operationalizing ocean equity in a multi-use marine protected area: Management practice and stakeholder perspectives from the Marine Nature Park of Iroise, France

As global commitments to marine conservation intensify under the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework, there is growing recognition that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) must deliver not only ecological outcomes but also social equity. This study examines how equity is operationalized in the governance of the Marine Nature Park of Iroise (MNPI), one of France's largest multi-use MPAs, by comparing institutional management actions with stakeholder perspectives. Using the Ocean Equity Framework-comprising Recognitional, Procedural, Distributional, Environmental, Management, and Contextual dimensions-this study combines analysis of MNPI institutional reporting with stakeholder perspectives elicited through Q-Methodology. Institutional reporting suggests that MNPI governance primarily emphasizes the Management and Environmental dimensions of equity through actions largely focused on knowledge production, commercial fishing, and environmental protection. In contrast, the Q-methodology reveals greater consensus around Management and Recognitional dimensions of equity, while Procedural and Contextual dimensions remain more contested. Comparing institutional actions with stakeholder perspectives enables a more integrative assessment of the tradeoffs shaping MPA governance. The Q-analysis identified four perspectives on equity-related tensions: (i) the knowledge paradox, reflecting gaps between scientific knowledge production and local needs; (ii) the protection paradox, reflecting competing conservation priorities among ecosystem services; (iii) the process-withoutcapacity tension, reflecting cross-sectoral governance challenges across horizontal and vertical governance scales; and (iv) path dependency, reflecting persistent tensions between biodiversity conservation and economic development. Overall, this study advances the assessment of equity in MPAs by integrating institutional analysis with stakeholder perspectives through a mixed-methods approach, providing insights to support more inclusive, context-sensitive, and socially grounded marine governance.