What is a marine protected area?An MPA is a space in the ocean human activities are more strictly regulated than the surrounding waters. It is defined by IUCN as:
"A clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values"
Are there different kinds of MPAs? Can they have different purposes?MPA is a general term for places given special protections for natural or historic marine resources by local, state, federal or tribal authorities. Some people confuse marine reserves, which are no-take areas, as the only type of MPA. Many MPAs are multiple-use areas, where a variety of uses are allowed. For example, there are many different kinds of MPAs in U.S. waters including national parks, wildlife refuges, monuments and marine sanctuaries, fisheries closures, critical habitat, habitat areas of particular concern, state parks, conservation areas, estuarine reserves and preserves, and numerous others.
What is the authority for designating MPAs?There are many different kinds of MPAs created by many different local, state, territorial, native, regional, or national authorities. Authorities differ substantially from nation to nation.
Are MPAs the only solution for improved marine resource management?MPAs are just one of many marine resource management tools. MPAs primarily regulate human activities by segregating them spatially. MPAs alone cannot address problems such as pollution, climate change, or overfishing. Other management strategies are needed to complement marine reserves. They are most effective when used in conjunction with other management measures.
What is the role of the public in planning and designing MPAs?Constructive public engagement in MPA planning is vital to achieving conservation goals; both in establishing sites and in ensuring their effective long-term stewardship. In many cases, different authorities and agencies seek public input on the design, location, and management plan for new MPAs or no-take areas within existing MPAs. Approaches used to acquire stakeholder input varies widely depending on agency-specific requirements, policies, timelines, and other constraints. Public engagement in these very different planning processes ranges from sustained substantive involvement over several years, to more limited participation focused mainly on commenting on internally generated preliminary plans.
What determines the size, number, and location of MPAs?The optimum size, number, and location of MPAs are determined by the management goals of a particular area. There are three basic designs that are most commonly used and discussed: a small single area, a large single area, or a network of areas. A small area may be used to protect a unique habitat, a site-specific life cycle event (such as spawning aggregation that occurs in a single area), or a unique shipwreck. A large single area may be used to protect species nursery grounds, representative habitat from either fishing pressure or destruction of habitat, or a large collection of historic vessels. A network of MPAs may be used to protect habitats needed for the diversity of life stages common among marine species to ensure that larval transport occurs throughout an entire region.
Do MPAs close access to fishing and other recreational use of the resource?There are many types of marine protected areas, and most do not prohibit fishing and recreational uses throughout their boundaries. Existing MPAs encompass a wide range of characteristics and have been established for a variety of different purposes. While a few sites exist as no-take marine reserves, the vast majority of MPAs, both in terms of numbers and area, are open for fishing, diving, boating, and other recreational and commercial uses.
How can MPAs enhance fisheries?Scientific research shows that MPAs can protect and enhance fisheries. Because MPA protections apply throughout a discrete area, they are effective at protecting fish stocks at various life stages in which fish are dependent on specific habitat types or locations. For instances, MPAs that prohibit certain fishing gear types can be used to protect spawning aggregation sites or nursery areas, such as estuaries, that are particularly vulnerable to fishing.
Marine reserves, a type of MPA in which extractive and habitat-damaging uses such as fishing are prohibited, may actually enhance fisheries. In the absence of fishing pressure inside reserves, fish are able to grow to maturity and to increase in overall abundance. This leads to increased reproductive potential inside reserves, and the subsequent increased production of eggs and larvae, which can be transported by currents of the reserves to replenish nearby fishing grounds.
What is a marine reserve?A marine reserve is a certain type of marine protected area that is "fully protected", meaning that no exploitation of any resource and no habitat destruction is allowed. MPAs may include marine reserves, as well as other zones in which partial protection is afforded (seasonal closures, catch limits, etc.).
What are the socioeconomic effects of marine reserves on local communities?Studies of the biological effects of marine reserves far exceed those done on the socioeconomic effects. Some of the positive social effects of marine reserves on the local communities include increased environmental awareness, environmental stewardship, and educational opportunities. Marine reserves can help generate alternative income for fishers or other community members. Reserves can provide direct or indirect jobs for them. It is important to include local ecological knowledge of the fishers into the management strategy of the reserve. Tourism can also provide new economic opportunities for fishers.
Loading feeds...
