Large marine protected areas – advantages and challenges of going big

Abstract

ABSTRACT1. The Aichi Biodiversity Targets were designed to promote and implement the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) by providing a framework for action to save biodiversity and enhance its benefits for people. Specifically, Target 11 aims to protect 10% of all seas by 2020. The percentage of the world's oceans that are protected has increased steadily in recent years, mainly due to very large marine protected areas (MPAs).2. The issue of making major gains in achieving protection targets through 'going big' has brought added scrutiny to the subject of MPAs. There is economy in scale, but several people have called into question whether going large will protect representative habitat and result in true protection, or whether it is merely a politically expedient way for some nations to attain targets by creating paper parks, while avoiding tough conservation decisions.3. The recent creation of large MPAs has greatly enhanced the chance of achieving global protection targets. Large areas typically contain several ecosystems and habitats that interact ecologically, and allow for more holistic conservation. The interactions between ecosystems in large MPAs occur without many of the problems associated with networks of smaller MPAs, where the connectivity between sites is often affected by human activities.4. The disadvantages of large MPAs include difficulties of surveillance, enforcement and monitoring of vast offshore areas, as well as high total costs. While the cost per unit area may be lower for large MPAs, conducting surveillance and monitoring in such vast areas requires much more expensive technologies.5. Large MPAs complement and add to existing management and conservation measures. Decision makers should consider designating them as one of a suite of possible protection measures. Besides greatly enhancing the chance of reaching agreed biodiversity targets, large MPAs improve the quality of conservation.

Large-Scale Marine Protected Areas: guidelines for design and management

“…Managing at large scales means there is both greater opportunity and risk due to the size of the MPA (Wilhelm, et al, 2014). In recent decades, an increase in the number and severity of anthropogenic impacts has threatened the oceans.…”

“…MPA designation through political will and coordinated stakeholder efforts for Motu Motiro Hiva Marine Park MMHMP was created around the Salas y Gómez Island, more than 400 kilometres east of Easter Island, in October 2010, increasing protection of Chile's EEZ from 0.03% to 4.1% (Toonen, et al, 2013;Wilhelm, et al, 2014).…”

“…LSMPAs often attract more attention than smaller areas, partly because of their vast size but also because they currently represent the newest genre of marine conservation (Toonen, et al, 2013, Wilhelm, et al, 2014. The scientific community and public are fascinated by the enormous geographic scale of LSMPAs and they draw international media attention (both desired and unwanted), particularly just before and after declaration and when the potential political gains and losses are significant (see Case Studies 16 and 17).…”

“…evident in most of the world's coastal areas, they are much less common in LSMPAs. Therefore, large-scale marine protected areas provide unique opportunities to study intact ecosystems in the absence of local stressors (Big Ocean, 2013;Toonen, et al, 2013;Edgar, et al, 2014;Wilhelm, et al, 2014).…”

“…These Guidelines emphasise appropriate size, scale and placement in parallel with comprehensive, quality management that is keenly aware of challenges and long-term commitments. Despite the challenges, LSMPAs can provide unique benefits and help reach global targets in meaningful ways when developed within the context of an overarching national or regional ecosystem-based approach to ocean governance that includes managing society's interactions within ecosystems (Wilhelm, et al, 2014).…”