Addressing Criticisms of Large-Scale Marine Protected Areas

O‘Leary, Bethan Christine; Ban, Natalie C.; Fernández, Miriam; Friedlander, Alan M.; Borboroglu, Pablo García; Golbuu, Yimnang; Guidetti, Paolo; Harris, Jean M.; Hawkins, Julie P.; Langlois, Tim; McCauley, Douglas J.; Pikitch, Ellen K.; Richmond, Robert H.; Roberts, Callum M.

doi:10.1093/biosci/biy021

Cited by 87 publications

(80 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Our study highlights the scale of fishing overlap with shark hotspots and argues for more effective and timely monitoring, reporting and management of pelagic sharks as a result. To enhance the recovery of vulnerable species, one solution is designation of largescale marine protected areas (MPAs) 28 around ecologically important space use hotspots of pelagic sharks 23 , notwithstanding the need for Nature 572, 461-466 (2019) doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1444-4 (Accepted version) more complete reporting of catch data with enforcement to support stricter conventional management by catch prohibitions, quotas or minimum sizes 5,16 . This study outlines shark hotspot locations where AIS-monitored fishing effort appears currently relatively low, which is where shark conservation could be maximized, while minimizing impact on fishing activity not directed at sharks (Supplementary Results and Discussion 2.6, 2.7).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries

Queiroz

Humphries

Couto

et al. 2019

Nature

288

224

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Effective ocean management and conservation of highly migratory species depends onresolving overlap between animal movements and distributions, and fishing effort.However, this information is lacking at a global scale. Here we show, using a big-data approach that combines satellite-tracked movements of pelagic sharks and global fishing fleets, that 24% of the mean monthly space used by sharks falls under the footprint of pelagic longline fisheries. Space-use hotspots of commercially valuable sharks and of internationally protected species had the highest overlap with longlines (up to 76% and 64%, respectively), and were also associated with significant increases in fishing effort.We conclude that pelagic sharks have limited spatial refuge from current levels of fishing effort in marine areas beyond national jurisdictions (the high seas). Our results demonstrate an urgent need for conservation and management measures at high-seas hotspots of shark space use, and highlight the potential of simultaneous satellite surveillance of megafauna and fishers as a tool for near-real-time, dynamic management.Industrialised fishing is a major source of mortality for large marine animals (marine megafauna) 1-6 . Humans have hunted megafauna in the open ocean for at least 42,000 years 7 , but international fishing fleets targeting large, epipelagic fishes did not spread into the high seas (areas beyond national jurisdiction) until the 1950s 8 . Prior to this, the high seas constituted a spatial refuge largely free from exploitation as fishing pressure was concentrated on continental shelves 3,8 . Pelagic sharks are among the widest ranging vertebrates, with some species exhibiting annual ocean-basin-scale migrations 9 , long term trans-ocean movements 10 , and/or fine-scale site fidelity to preferred shelf and open ocean areas 5,9,11 . These behaviours could cause extensive spatial overlap with different fisheries from coastal areas to the deep ocean. On average, large pelagic sharks account for 52% of all identified shark catch worldwide in target fisheries or as bycatch 12 . Regional declines in abundance of pelagic sharks have been reported 13,14 , but it is unclear whether exposure to high fishing effort extends across ocean-wide population ranges and overlaps areas in the high seas where sharks are most abundant 5,13 .Conservation of pelagic sharkswhich currently have limited high seas management 12,15,16would benefit greatly from a clearer understanding of the spatial relationships between sharks' habitats and active fishing zones. However, obtaining unbiased estimates of shark and fisher distributions is complicated by the fact that most data on pelagic sharks come from catch records and other fishery-dependent sources 4,15,16 .Here, we provide the first global estimate of the extent of space use overlap of sharks with industrial fisheries. This is based on the analysis of the movements of pelagic sharks tagged with satellite transmitters in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, together with fishing vessel movements m...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries

Queiroz

Humphries

Couto

et al. 2019

Nature

288

224

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“…drones, vessel automatic identification system data) to support monitoring and enforcement of large transboundary MPAs, and Roberts et al () highlighted their potential for enhanced resilience to climate change. O'Leary et al () balanced reservations against distinct advantages and benefits of LSMPAs. Equity is perhaps the most pressing issue.…”

Section: Reaching 10%mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Political impetus is critical for MPAs regardless of size or objective (O'Leary et al, ). Meaningful progress also requires proper implementation of Aichi Target 11, with its focus from quantity to quality of MPAs—after all, targets only represent steps towards an end.…”

Section: Future Outlookmentioning

confidence: 99%

Securing effective and equitable coverage of marine protected areas: The UK's progress towards achieving Convention on Biological Diversity commitments and lessons learned for the way forward

Johnson

Rees

Diz

et al. 2019

Aquatic Conservation

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Current international agreements call for protecting 10% of marine and coastal waters by 2020, with the intention of increasing that target to 30% by 2030. With 24% of its territorial waters protected, the UK falls short of the new expected target. As well as quantitative targets, qualitative criteria have been internationally agreed for protected area designation, including minimum coverage values and characteristics that encompass effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well‐connected systems of protected areas and other effective area‐based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscape and seascape. The legal framework supporting protected area designations at sea is summarized and explained for UK territorial waters. Efforts to date to achieve current marine protected area (MPA) targets are reviewed, with emphasis on how well the existing protected area portfolio captures the qualitative criteria. Examples are given of other effective conservation measures complementary to formalized MPAs, especially with regard to achieving and promoting qualitative criteria for biodiversity conservation, including appropriate recognition of and support for areas conserved by indigenous people, local communities and private entities. A precis on the governance of MPAs and other effective conservation measures in the UK and its overseas territories is presented. Whilst the UK has made exceptional progress with quantitative MPA coverage, it is still not clear whether designated areas offer effective protection. A UK‐level strategy is in place to address this; and at site level, Lyme Bay MPA illustrates the benefits of addressing qualitative criteria. Illustrated by the UK example, an urgent call is made for ongoing and future marine in situ area‐based conservation efforts to substantiate quantitative and qualitative considerations, and to ensure that MPA networks are ultimately fit for purpose.

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“…Table 2 Marine managed areas in remote Oceania. Data from World Database on Protected Areas (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, 2018;Govan, 2015;O'Leary et al, 2018). Local management areas include: indigenous owners, communities, in-dividual landowners, joint and collaborative.…”

Section: Marine Protected Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, the implementation and the management of LSMPAs have not been well explored in practice or theory (Leenhardt et al, 2013). Some of the criticisms of LSMPAs are valid and need addressing, however, none pertain exclusively to LSMPAs and many involve challenges ubiquitous to all management (O'Leary et al, 2018).…”

Section: Large-scale Mpasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marine conservation in Oceania: Past, present, and future

Friedlander

2018

Marine Pollution Bulletin

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The people of Oceania have long relied on the ocean for sustenance, commerce, and cultural identity, which promulgated a sophisticated understanding of the marine environment and its conservation. Global declines in ocean health now require innovative solutions that can benefit from customary knowledge and practices, which in the past led to sustainable marine resource use. The resurgence of local stewardship, which incorporates customary practices and governance, has shown promise in many locations throughout the Pacific, although a complete return to past practices is not fully implementable owing to the loss of traditional knowledge, centralized governmental structures, economic development, and globalization. Hybrid systems that incorporate elements of customary and contemporary management can overcome some of these limitations to implementation of successful local management, and lead to greater food security, social cohesion, and the creation of an adaptive system that can potentially mitigate the effects of climate change and other stressors.

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Addressing Criticisms of Large-Scale Marine Protected Areas

Cited by 87 publications

References 58 publications

Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries

Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries

Securing effective and equitable coverage of marine protected areas: The UK's progress towards achieving Convention on Biological Diversity commitments and lessons learned for the way forward

Marine conservation in Oceania: Past, present, and future

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