Protected areas in Chile: are we managing them?

Abstract

Background: Human population growth since the mid-1900s has been accompanied by an unsustainable use of natural resources and a corresponding impact on terrestrial and marine biota. In response, most states have established protected areas as tools to decrease biodiversity loss, being Chile one of the signatories of international conservation agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the 2010 Aichi Targets. This study reviews the Chilean protected areas that have been created to date, with an emphasis on the existence and effectiveness of management plans for all terrestrial and marine protected areas. Effectiveness was individually evaluated using two filters: 1) the age of the management plan and 2) the first four steps of the Protected Areas Management Effectiveness (PAME) methodology recommended by the IUCN. Results: We show that 84 out of a total of 145 protected areas (PAs), and only five out of a total of 20 marine protected areas (MPAs), have management plans. Only 12% (N = 16) of PAs are effectively managed; while in the marine realm, no MPA has an effective plan. Conclusions: Our results show the lack of both the effectiveness of and updates to the management plans for the vast majority of the national territory and raise the following question: is it sustainable to continue adding protected areas to the national system even though it is clear that the existing support is insufficient to meet the minimum requirements for full implementation?

Critical Solutions for Critical Problems: Threats to Sustainable Use and Management of Nech Sar National Park (NSNP): Ethiopia

“…In order to meet the objectives of national parks effective and for the sustainable utilization of its resources as well as adequate management; free from any constraints and challenges; has significant contributions in terms of protection of the natural resources, rehabilitation of biodiversity and properly utilizations of the economic, cultural, psycho-social and environmental values (Petit et al, 2018). However, the study done by Chan et al, (2014) in Hong Kong indicates that increase in population, increasing users expectation and its resultant effects encounter different challenges on the management of protected areas.…”

“…Human population growth accompanied with unsustainable use of natural resources has been causing tremendous impact on terrestrial and marine biota of protected areas (Sarmin et al, 2016). It is also one the challenges that limit the administration"s actions of protected areas (Petit et al, 2018). NSNP provides numerous socio-economic and environmental benefits to the people living around and in the park.…”

Marine protected areas invaded by floating anthropogenic litter: An example from the South Pacific

“…Although their benefits have been demonstrated in several studies (e.g. Costello, ), criticism has been raised with respect to the implementation of management plans, especially in the case of large and remote MPAs within the South‐East Pacific (see Petit, Campoy, Hevia, Gaymer, & Squeo, ). However, and irrespective of any conservation efforts made within the MPA boundaries, AML is recognized as a major threat.…”

Spatial and seasonal differences in the top predators of Easter Island: Essential data for implementing the new Rapa Nui multiple‐uses marine protected area

“…Through the establishment of fishing regulations such as minimum size, effort control, and/or regulation of total catches (Botsford, Micheli, & Hastings, ; Hilborn, Micheli, & De Leo, ), MPAs are usually associated with the increase of abundance, biomass, and size of focal species (Micheli, Halpern, Botsford, & Warner, ), as well as catch‐per‐unit‐effort in adjacent areas (Roberts, Bohnsack, Gell, Hawkins, & Goodridge, ). In Chile, 23 MPAs have been created in the last decade, protecting over 41% of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) (Petit, Campoy, Hevia, Gaymer, & Squeo, ). The most recent three MPAs were announced during the 2017 International Marine Protected Areas Congress: Islas Diego Ramirez–Paso Drake, Juan Fernandez archipelago, and Rapa Nui.…”

“…Through the establishment of fishing regulations such as minimum size, effort control, and/or regulation of total catches (Botsford, Micheli, & Hastings, 2003;Hilborn, Micheli, & De Leo, 2006), MPAs are usually associated with the increase of abundance, biomass, and size of focal species (Micheli, Halpern, Botsford, & Warner, 2004), as well as catch-perunit-effort in adjacent areas (Roberts, Bohnsack, Gell, Hawkins, & Goodridge, 2001). In Chile, 23 MPAs have been created in the last decade, protecting over 41% of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) (Petit, Campoy, Hevia, Gaymer, & Squeo, 2018 Easter Island, also known by its Polynesian name Rapa Nui, is the most south-eastern coral reef ecosystem in the Pacific Ocean and harbours a unique fish assemblage with a high level of endemism (Randall & Cea, 2010). Easter Island is one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the Pacific Ocean; yet, long-term overfishing has dramatically reduced the abundance of targeted species (Aburto, Gaymer, Haoa, & González, 2015;Friedlander et al, 2013;Randall & Cea, 2010;Zylich et al, 2014).…”