Institutional Gaps and Technical Governance in Regional Marine Management: A Legal Analysis of SDG Implementation in Bajau Tourist Zones

This article examines institutional gaps and the operation of technical governance in regional marine management within tourist-oriented maritime spaces traditionally associated with Bajau communities. Situated within the normative framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water), the study employs a legal-doctrinal and governance-oriented analytical approach. It explores how fragmented legal regimes, spatial regulation, and technology-driven governance tools interact to marginalize mobile and frequently stateless marine populations. The article argues that technical governance, while enhancing regulatory efficiency and environmental protection, often intensifies governance injustice when institutional design fails to accommodate non-sedentary and non-citizen social realities. It concludes that inclusive legal recognition, adaptive governance mechanisms, and strengthened regional coordination are essential for aligning marine conservation and tourism governance with the core principles of sustainable development.