Human–wildlife conflicts have become increasingly severe and widespread in recent decades, posing a major global challenge for biodiversity conservation and social equity. Among these conflicts, large marine predators feeding on fish caught on fishing gear, a behaviour termed “depredation” generates significant ecological and socio-economic impacts. Social-ecological governance has emerged in sustainability sciences as a promising framework to address the complexity of human-wildlife conflicts. Through a literature review, we examined its role on fostering human–wildlife coexistence in various settings including a specific analysis on those related to marine depredation. Additionally, to confront theoretical frameworks with empirical realities, we analysed two fisheries affected by depredation in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands and New Caledonia. We categorized current management modes and assessed their alignment with social ecological governance principles. Our findings showed that while adaptive co-management by emphasising inclusive, flexible, and learning-based management holds strong potential to reach coexistence, its implementation is hindered by three interconnected challenges: knowledge gaps, implementation gaps, and power asymmetries. This study highlights the urgent need to integrate social-ecological thinking into marine governance and supports adaptive co-management as a viable pathway toward sustainable and equitable coexistence in marine systems.
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