Coastwide

Coastwide is an adjective describing something that extends along or affects the entire length of a coastline, rather than being limited to a single locality or inland region. The term is used in geography, natural resource management, transportation planning, and policy discussions to indicate geographic scope that follows the coastline from one end to the other.

In natural resources and environmental management, coastwide designations are common for issues that affect multiple jurisdictions along a coast, such as fisheries, protected species, and habitat management. A coastwide stock, for example, refers to a population that spans the entire coastline of a given region and is managed with measures intended to apply coastwide. Implementing coastwide management typically requires intergovernmental coordination, standardized data collection, and harmonized rules, since different states or provinces may have separate laws, enforcement mechanisms, and harvest quotas.

Challenges of coastwide approaches include differing political priorities, data gaps, and enforcement complexity. Proponents argue that coastwide planning can ensure that migratory species and coastal ecosystems are managed holistically, avoiding loopholes that could arise from fragmented, localized management. The term is widely understood in policy and scientific literature, but its exact meaning can vary by sector and country.