Marine protected areas

what is a marine protected area?

 designated region of the ocean or coastal waters that is protected to conserve marine biodiversity, ecosystems and cultural heritage

Are the design of protected areas heavily influenced by different global agreements like COP?

Yes

what are the benefits of mangroves?

• protect shorelines

• capture and store carbon

What does CBD stand for?

• convention on biodiversity

what are some challenges of marine protected areas?

• respecting the rights of indigenous people and local communities - impatcs of protected areas on human rights

• to ensure MPAs are effectively conserved and managed

• balancing sustainable use with effective protection

what was the 1992 collapse in Canada’s grand banks cod fishery was caused predominantly by:

• overfishing from international industrial trawlers

what are the main problems of overfishing? 2

• has significant impacts on non target species - wider impacts on marine life beyond commercial fish species

• one third of the worlds fisheries are being pushed beyond biologically sustainable limits

what are some of the key challenges balancing economically viable fisheries with marine conservation?

• In many Newly Industrialised Countries (NICs), global competition for fish means that local fishers are under threat from external actors (e.g. international trawling fleets, pirates)

• Alternative economic activities (e.g. tourism) can lead to overall economic benefits for poor coastal communities but risks excluding fishers

• Enforcement of quotas and bans are difficult to implement

what are some of the potential challenges or problems with MPAs?

• if conceived of and planned poorly, can interfere with the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities

• disproportionately harmed the most vulnerable communities and women

• can be difficult based on the limitations of current management practices and technology

• can be difficult to define what is a “sustainable” use of natural resources within an MPA because we often lack sufficient data to make a clear judgement