ABSTRACT
Simm et al's (1995) beach management definition (see Chapter 1, ‘Introduction’) addresses social, economic and environmental aspects of beach use, a catholic spectrum of potential conflict. It is concerned with potential financial limitations often encountered in everyday management practices. Alternatively Bird's (1996) definition lays greater emphasis on beach users' needs. The authors' own interpretation of beach management is that it reflects the taking of decisions to undertake or not undertake actions that reflect governing policy objectives and the socio-economic and environmental capabilities of beach areas, which range from urban to remote. These actions can promote the maximum enjoyment of the beach and/or desired coastal protection measures with the minimum of disturbance to the natural environment. The question may be posed: ‘What is the right way to manage a beach/coast, or is there a right way?’. This derives from the school of environmental virtue ethics (Cafaro, 2001) and we are of the opinion that there are ways of achieving sound beach management. Management decisions can be loosely classed into ‘good’ or ‘bad’, or ‘somewhere in between’. Chapter 4 on beach management guidelines and the Case Study section of this book give many examples of these matters.
