Kiribati Expands Phoenix Islands Protected Area, Creating World’S Largest MPA

Vol. 9, No. 8 March 2008

International News and Analysis on Marine Protected Areas

Kiribati Expands Phoenix Islands Protected Area, Creating World’s Largest MPA

The Pacific island nation of Kiribati has more than considered to be the world’s largest MPA, followed by doubled the size of its Phoenix Islands Protected Area the 344,400-km2 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in (PIPA), creating what is being called the world’s largest Australia. Depending on how one defines “marine For more information marine protected area. The expanded MPA, an- protected area”, however, other (larger) marine areas Tebwe Ietaake, Ministry of nounced by the Government of Kiribati in late January could also be considered, like the 70 million-km2 Environment, Lands, and 2008, now encompasses an area of 410,500 km2 — up Indian Ocean Whale Sanctuary (”Which MPA Is the Agricultural Development, from 184,700 km2. World’s Largest?”, MPA News 8:2). Kiribati. Tel: +686 28507; E- mail: [email protected] The vision for the PIPA remains the same as when the site was designated in 2006: commercial fishing will be Funded by endowment Sue Miller-Taei, Conserva- phased out, although subsistence reef fishing by the The PIPA will be financed through an endowment tion International, Samoa. fewer than 50 residents of the Phoenix Islands archi- being initiated with private funding by CI’s Global Tel: +685 21593; E-mail: pelago will be allowed to continue (MPA News 7:9). Conservation Fund. The endowment will grow with [email protected] The protected area was developed by Kiribati in matching funds from private and public institutions, cooperation with the New England Aquarium over and will be similar to ones enacted by CI to protect several years of joint research, with funding and South American rainforests. It will be overseen by a technical assistance from Conservation International board of managers including CI, the Government of (CI). Designated to protect the nation’s near-pristine Kiribati, New England Aquarium, and others. coral reef ecosystem, the PIPA is located halfway Sue Miller-Taei, CI’s marine program manager for Table of Contents between Australia and Hawai’i in the Central Pacific. Pacific Islands, says the PIPA endowment will have Kiribati Expands Phoenix Tebwe Ietaake, secretary of the Kiribati environment three functions: Islands Protected Area, ministry, says there was no conscious plan to double the • Support the costs of managing the protected area; Creating World’s Largest size of the MPA. Rather, the expansion allows for • Cover the costs of operating the financing vehicle MPA ...... 1 greater conservation opportunities. “The new bound- that holds the endowment; and MPA Global Database aries address two fundamental considerations,” says • Compensate the Government of Kiribati for lost Releases Figures: Ietaake. “One was to include two reefs, Winslow and revenue suffered from cancellation of fishing licenses MPAs Cover Just Carondelet, that were outside the 60-mile offshore to foreign tuna fleets. 0.65% of Oceans ...... 2 boundary set around the islands [in 2006]. Second was to make the boundaries more easily described and How large the endowment needs to be to cover these MPA Perspective suitable for navigators by adopting straight-line costs will be the focus of discussions this month in MPAs in Europe — coordinates rather than circular 60-mile radius coordi- Kiribati, says Miller-Taei. As the endowment grows, Challenges and nates.” The expanded MPA also includes tuna fishing effort will be phased out. “CI has an initial Opportunities ...... 3 spawning grounds, seamounts, and deep sea habitat that secured commitment from its Global Conservation MPA Perspective were formerly outside its limits. Fund for US $2.5 million,” she says. “We have a range of other private, multilateral, and bilateral donors Climate Change and the Although Kiribati is the largest atoll nation in the world, interested in supporting the PIPA endowment.” She U.S. National System of it is geographically isolated. This isolation has histori- says that the years of planning and the partnerships MPAs — Why Places Are cally insulated the nation from outside threats. But already in place — as well as the PIPA’s profile as the Important ...... 4 foreign fishing fleets have expressed growing interest in world’s largest MPA — will all aid in the fundraising. Notes & News ...... 5 its waters, and climate change looms. Sea level rise is a major concern for this low-lying nation, and a pro- Miller-Taei says a key challenge will come in deciding longed drought has threatened domestic water supplies. how, in space and time, to phase out the fishing effort. “This will involve working with a range of types of Prior to the PIPA expansion, the 362,000-km2 agreements and license arrangements — from annual Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in continued on next page the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (U.S.) was widely license fees for distant-water fishing fleets, to multilat- The PIPA will enhance the development potential of eral fishing treaties,” she says. Kiribati as a place to visit, starting first with cruise lines bringing tourists.” Kiribati includes two other, more- The Government of Kiribati anticipates that the populated island groups in addition to the Phoenix expanded PIPA will help draw more tourists to the Islands. archipelago. “I am optimistic about the future of tourism development in Kiribati,” says Ietaake. “It is The PIPA website is http://phoenixislands.org. one of the untouched, undisturbed places on Earth.

MPA Global Database Releases Figures: MPAs Cover Just 0.65% of Oceans A project to create a global database on marine Number of MPAs designated worldwide: protected areas has released new figures on the state 4435 of the MPA field. Representing the most authorita- Area covered by MPAs worldwide: tive figures to date, the findings show the small total 2.35 million km2 area covered by MPAs worldwide — less than 1%. Percentage of world oceans covered by MPAs: The figures come from the MPA Global database 0.65% (http://mpaglobal.org), housed at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Created and managed by Percentage of area within Exclusive Economic Zones covered by MPAs: Louisa Wood as part of her Ph.D. thesis, MPA 1.6% Global is a collaboration of the UNEP-World Percentage of global MPA area subject to no-take regulations: Conservation Monitoring Centre, IUCN World 12.8% Commission on Protected Areas-Marine, World Percentage of world’s oceans subject to no-take regulations: Wildlife Fund, and the Sea Around Us Project at 0.08% (This is the first estimate of global no-take area that is based directly on no-take UBC’s Fisheries Centre. The MPA Global database data. It improves on previous estimates that relied on the use of sites’ IUCN manage- originated from the World Database on Protected ment categories as a proxy for no-take data.) Areas, and is in the process of being re-incorporated in the latter (MPA News 9:7). Mean area of MPAs: 544 km2 The figures at right are from MPA Global; these and Median area of MPAs: other figures from the project are presented in Wood’s 4.6 km2 (The substantial difference between mean and median MPA size is largely Ph.D. thesis, which she defended in December 2007. attributable to 10 very large MPAs, below, constituting 75% of global MPA area.) Wood is also lead author on a paper providing more detailed analysis of the global system of MPAs, in press Ten largest MPAs: in the journal Oryx. (Editor’s note: Wood now serves as 1. Phoenix Islands Protected Area (country: Kiribati) — 410,500 km2 technical advisor on MPAs for IUCN’s Global Marine 2. Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (U.S.) — 362,000 km2 Programme, working on projects in support of 2 implementing the World Commission on Protected 3. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Australia) — 344,400 km Areas - Marine Plan of Action. These projects include 4. Macquarie Island Marine Park (Australia) — 162,000 km2 the “Wet List” — a new global partnership to map 5. Galápagos Marine Reserve (Ecuador) — 133,000 km2 progress, recognize successes in marine conservation, 6. Greenland National Park (Denmark) — 110,000 km2, excluding terrestrial area and identify challenges to building MPA networks and 2 conserving the marine environment [“Global MPA 7. Seaflower Marine Protected Area (Colombia) — 65,000 km Priorities to Be Set this Month…”, MPA News 8:9].) 8. Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve (Australia) — 64,600 km2 2 The criterion for inclusion in MPA Global is the 9. Komandorsky Zapovednik (Russia) — 55,800 km , including buffer zone IUCN definition of MPA: “an area of intertidal or 10. Wrangel Island Zapovednik (Russia) — 46,700 km2, including buffer zone subtidal terrain, together with its overlying water and associated flora, fauna, historical and cultural Percentage of global MPA area located within the tropical latitude belt (between features, which has been reserved by law or other 30°N and 30°S): effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed 65% environment” (IUCN 1992). To date there remains Percentage of global MPA area located in latitudes higher than 50°: debate over whether some types of spatial manage- 31% ment measures, such as permanent fisheries closures, should be included in the database. MPA Global For more information: Louisa Wood, IUCN. E-mail: [email protected] does not include such areas.

2 MPA News MPA Perspective MPAs in Europe — Challenges and Opportunities

By José A. García-Charton, Concepción Marcos, MPAs in relation to planned goals and objectives. Editor’s note Fuensanta Salas, and Ángel Pérez-Ruzafa MPAs constitute true scientific experiments at the ecosystem scale, and hence a privileged stage for the The authors of this piece The European Symposium on Marine Protected Areas advancement of knowledge. are faculty members of the (www.mpasymposium2007.eu), held in September 2007 in Department of Ecology and Murcia, Spain, constituted a unique opportunity to A multidisciplinary approach is the most appealing Hydrology at the University bring together researchers, managers, authorities and strategy to move forward in MPA science. Concern is of Murcia, Spain. They industry representatives to discuss the advancement of often raised against an excessive emphasis on purely serve as coordinators of this management tool to achieve fisheries and conserva- natural sciences (which are reductionist, long-term, and EMPAFISH (www.um.es/ tion goals. Here we intend to present, as coordinators can involve a significant amount of uncertainty) to the empafish), a project funded of the EMPAFISH project, and thus co-organizers of detriment of the social sciences. The latter are possibly by the European Commis- this event, our personal view about the most important better-adapted to local realities — i.e., to the need to sion to study MPAs as tools ideas issued from the meeting, and the challenges faced conserve not only resources but also the living condi- for fisheries management by MPAs in the near future. tions and culture of coastal human communities. and conservation. Scientists are aware of the current limitations of science 1. Need to integrate fisheries, biodiversity goals in terms of unresolved questions and gaps in knowl- This article does not The capacity of the European Common Fisheries Policy edge, and recognize the merit in establishing priority necessarily reflect the alone to solve the problem of fisheries conservation is operational objectives for the next years. The major European Commission’s being called into question. There is an increasing need, obstacle is the gap between unrealistically short timeframes views and in no way particularly in the Mediterranean, for closer collabora- required by donors and managers in the planning process anticipates the tion and coordination between environment and (linked to short-term science-funding schemes), and Commission’s future policy fisheries government officials at all administrative levels scientists’ inclination to think in the long term. Rap- in this area. (from local to European and international). However, prochement requires managers to plan more in the long fisheries and environmental objectives may not always term and with more of a precautionary perspective, and be completely compatible. For instance, the Natura scientists to think more in the short term — such as giving 2000 network of protected areas — which protect answers to managers even without absolute sureness on habitats and endangered species — may help indirectly their conclusions, in the face of urgent situations. to address fisheries goals through the fishery-habitat importance of particular communities (e.g., Posidonia 4. The future of the MPA tool oceanica beds, cold water corals). But because of its We need to be much more ambitious when stating the limited scope, the Natura 2000 network can be only goals and objectives of fisheries conservation and complementary at best to other management measures biodiversity protection because of the highly degraded in addressing specific fisheries objectives. state of marine populations and ecosystems. Although many benefits will become apparent soon after 2. Participatory process and community involvement protection, full ecosystem recovery will require decades Public participation is one of the key elements in the to centuries to occur. In addition, there is the mandate success of MPAs. Not only must management establish to protect a very significant part of the marine areas within fluid ways of communicating with and informing MPA networks — bearing in mind the 2012 target. stakeholders, but there is a need to implement adaptive and bottom-up management schemes, with involvement Regarding the role of scientific advice in the MPA of stakeholders in all phases of MPA planning, designation, process, a dichotomy exists between “low-tech and local monitoring and evaluation. For such involvement to be knowledge-based” vs. “high-tech and high-quality data- For more information effective, stakeholders must be willing to accept other based” methodologies. Due to urgency reasons, there is José Antonio García points of view. In other words, fishers must be willing to a need to develop the first type of methods to be applied in Charton, Departamento de agree to close certain areas to fishing; tourism managers to certain situations, as already done by some international Ecología e Hidrología, admit to being excluded from some areas for diving or agencies. But, importantly, scientists should improve Universidad de Murcia, recreational fishing; and scientists to acknowledge their capacity to translate the results of MPA research Campus de Espinardo, pragmatic considerations besides biophysical and socio- into readily applicable management measures. 30100 Murcia, Spain. Tel: economic sciences, such as enforcement needs. Finally, it appears necessary to broaden our thinking to +34 968 364326; E-mail: [email protected] 3. Role of science to support MPA process larger geographical scales beyond MPA limits. MPAs offer a smaller-scale model for development of a true Science is an essential component to MPA success in Oceans Policy, based on interdisciplinary spatial (i) setting general and operational objectives, planning and ecosystem-based management of the (ii) establishing baseline reference levels, (iii) predicting littoral areas and the high seas. Such a policy is the only outcomes of alternative management scenarios, and solution to the present fisheries and environmental crises. (iv) properly assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of

March 2008 3 Editor’s note MPA Perspective Climate Change and the U.S. National System Joseph Uravitch is director of the U.S. National Marine of MPAs — Why Places Are Important Protected Areas Center. The MPA Center is a By Joseph A. Uravitch division of the Office of After seven years of public and agency engagement, and can the National System assist in adaptation to Ocean and Coastal information gathering and analysis, and system design, such change? I believe the answer is “yes” in both Resource Management the National Oceanic and Atmospheric instances. The National System also can be an within the National Oceanic Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Protected important contributor to helping NOAA achieve its and Atmospheric Areas Center (MPA Center) is moving forward to climate goal, to “understand and describe climate Administration’s (NOAA) establish the initial U.S. National System of Marine variability and change to enhance society’s ability to National Ocean Service. Protected Areas (National System) by late 2008. The plan and respond.” Perhaps the most obvious and Revised Draft Framework for Developing the National direct linkage is to the National System Framework’s System of Marine Protected Areas will be available soon proposed near-term objective of conserving “important for public comment. The Final Framework is planned geological and persistent oceanographic features.” I for publication this summer. Underpinning the believe this is a critical objective to address because: National System are the Framework’s conservation • We know that the oceans are changing; goals and objectives, developed with the advice of the MPA Federal Advisory Committee. These are intended • We know sea levels are rising, even if we’re unsure of to help guide the protection, preservation and restora- the rate and the ultimate increase; tion of the nation’s natural heritage, cultural heritage, • We know that species compositions and ecosystems and sustainable production of marine resources. This are changing, and likely to continue to change for the initial National System will be based on the participa- foreseeable future; tion of existing federal MPAs and voluntary participation by state, territorial, and tribal MPAs, followed over • We know that there is a question about the long-term time by regional gap persistence of some oceanographic features, such as In the context of climate change and changing analyses to determine if specific upwellings and currents; additional areas should be ecosystems, we can reasonably assume that • We know that while submerged features may change designated as MPAs. geologic features are the most likely places physically at geological time scales, they rarely change where new species assemblages and The past several years also on the human timescale on which we plan; ecosystems will form over time. have seen a growing • We know that the depth of submergence of these consensus about the reality geologic features will change, and some coastal lands of climate change. Although much is unknown, such as will become submerged lands; and, most importantly, the rate of change, or specificity about intensity and timing of effects, reports such as the Intergovernmental • We know that submerged geologic features such as Panel on Climate Change’s recent publication on reefs, hard bottoms, canyons, seamounts, etc., are often Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability1 note that areas of high biological diversity, and sometimes, “observational evidence from all continents and most endemism, as studies of places such as New Zealand oceans shows that many natural systems are being seamounts has shown. affected by regional climate changes, particularly One need only look at existing MPAs to see that most temperature increases.” Expected changes, among of them are built around such features. U.S. examples others noted, are sea level rise, damage to corals and include National Marine Sanctuaries such as Stellwagen coastal wetlands, ocean acidification, and a “high Bank and Cordell Bank; Monterey Bay and its canyon; confidence” in “shifts in the ranges and changes in algal, the reefs of the Florida Keys; the hard bottoms of Grays plankton, and fish abundance in high latitude oceans.” Reef; the salt domes of Flower Garden Banks; the state Given these observable and predicted changes, do these and federal MPA complex around the Channel Islands affect the establishment of the U.S. National System, (which includes a National Park, a National Marine Sanctuary, Federal Fisheries Management Zones, and

1 California State Marine Reserves and Marine Conserva- IPCC: Summary for Policy Makers. In: Climate Change tion Areas); and the extensive NOAA Fisheries trawl 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution closures established in the Gulf of Alaska to protect of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the deep, cold water corals, to name just a few. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. We can logically assume that ecosystems and species Hanson, Eds., Cambridge University Press, UK, 7-22. assemblages in these particular locations will change as

4 MPA News species move poleward or die off. But we can also to work with MPA and marine resource management For more information reasonably assume that the geologic features upon and research programs to better understand existing Joseph Uravitch, National which these MPAs were established are the most likely resources of these key places (both existing and Marine Protected Areas places on which and around which new species potential sites); establish monitoring capabilities to Center, 1305 East West assemblages and ecosystems will form over time. We understand change over time; and help our MPAs Highway, Silver Spring, MD may not know what these assemblages and ecosystems practice adaptive management to ensure that our nation 20910-3281, U.S. will look like, but we probably know where they will and our neighbors will have vibrant, resilient ecosystems Tel: +1 301 563 1195; E-mail: exist. in the future. [email protected] Knowing this, we move forward practically in establishing the National System. We will use this opportunity

Seabirds as surrogates for siting MPAs The above essay by Joseph Uravitch recommends demonstrated that high densities of seabirds and/or the use of geologic features as surrogates for seabird species diversity were observable in specific biodiversity in siting MPAs. Australian researchers areas over decadal scales.” Jane Harris and Eric Woehler suggest another Woehler acknowledges that climate change could possible surrogate that could be particularly useful conceivably cause prey and predator species to for siting MPAs on the open ocean: seabirds. In a migrate over the course of coming decades, thus paper published last year in Antarctic Science (Vol. shifting the priority areas for conservation. In that 19, No.2, pp. 189-194), Harris and Woehler case, he says, the study could be repeated in, say, 50 analyzed 20 years of seabird-sighting data in the years’ time. “If the at-sea distributions of seabirds Southern Ocean to identify several high-priority change in response to rising sea-surface tempera- areas for conservation in the region. tures, the same methodology could be re-applied to “Seabirds are top-order predators,” says Woehler. identify candidate MPAs,” he says. “There are numerous studies throughout the For a copy of the paper “A New Approach to world’s oceans that have demonstrated seabird Selecting Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the distributions at sea reflect the distribution, abun- Southern Ocean”, e-mail Eric Woehler at dance, and availability of their prey. Our study [email protected]

Notes & News New manual available on Marxan A new user’s manual is available for Marxan, a software The Marxan User Manual for Marxan Version 1.8.10 is program that provides support for decision-making on published by the University of Queensland and the MPA design. The manual provides readers with the Pacific Marine Analysis and Research Association basic knowledge needed to use the software, including (PacMARA). It is available online at www.pacmara.org. the questions it can help to answer, its limitations, and what data inputs are required. Website: social dimensions of MPAs In most reserve-design processes, a planner has several The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers potential sites from which to select new conservation (ICSF) has launched a new website on MPAs, provid- areas, subject to various constraints. Marxan helps ing perspectives on the planning tool from local and planners find a range of near-optimal solutions quickly, traditional fishing communities. The website currently even for very large planning projects. The software has includes an overview of MPAs, an outline of interna- been instrumental in the design of multiple marine tional legal instruments protecting the resource rights of reserve networks in recent years, including for the Great local communities, and summaries of case studies from Barrier Reef Marine Park (Australia) and the Channel five countries (Brazil, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Islands National Marine Sanctuary (U.S.). Use of Thailand). Marxan by MPA planners was discussed in our October 2004 edition (MPA News 6:4). “For MPAs to yield positive outcomes both for biodiversity conservation and livelihoods, implementa-

March 2008 5 MPA News tion efforts need to take into account, and strengthen, Report describes state of deep coral ecosystems traditional rights of communities to use resources in of U.S. Editor-in-Chief sustainable ways,” states ICSF. “They also need to A new publication from the U.S. National Oceanic and John B. Davis recognize and support local systems of governance, take Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describes the Project Assistant into account traditional knowledge systems, and ensure state of the nation’s deep sea coral ecosystems, and Anna Varney that communities benefit. This website attempts to profiles management actions to protect more than Editorial Board explore these issues.” The website is http://mpa.icsf.net. 500,000 square miles of seafloor in the Pacific region, Chair - David Fluharty, Ph.D. including coral habitats. The State of Deep Coral U.W. School of Marine Affairs Researchers calculate costs, benefits of high Ecosystems of the United States 2007 is available in PDF Patrick Christie, Ph.D. seas marine reserves format at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/dce.html. U.W. School of Marine Affairs Closure of 20% of the high seas may lead to the loss of Michael Murray just 1.8% of the current global reported marine fisheries U.S. congressional body releases report on MPAs Channel Islands National catch, and a decrease in profits to the high seas fleet of Marine Sanctuary The U.S. Congressional Research Service has produced about US $270 million per year, according to a study in an overview report on MPAs, describing the tool’s Direct correspondence to: MPA the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series. The paper’s News, School of Marine Affairs, benefits and challenges as well as relevant federal laws authors — a team of researchers at the University of and programs. The report cites the likelihood that the University of Washington, 3707 British Columbia (Canada) — conclude, “At globally Brooklyn Ave. NE, Seattle, WA current Congress will consider MPAs during its 98105, USA. Tel: +1 206 685 1582; minimal costs, the international community could reauthorization of laws to manage coastal zone and Fax: +1 206 543 1417; E-mail: benefit substantially by securing insurance against marine protection designations, as well as appropria- [email protected] extinctions and the loss of the spectacular marine tions for marine programs. The report Marine Protected ...... diversity in the high and deep seas.” The paper Areas: An Overview is available at www.ncseonline.org/NLE/ MPA News is published monthly “Potential costs and benefits of marine reserves in the CRSreports/07Dec/RL32154.pdf. by Marine Affairs Research and high seas” is in Vol. 345, pp. 305-310, of the journal. Education (MARE), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, in For more information: Ussif Rashid Sumaila, Fisheries association with the School of Centre, University of British Columbia, Canada. E-mail: Marine Affairs, Univ. of Washington. Please make sure your e-mail account [email protected] All content has been written by the accepts messages from us MPA News editorial staff unless To ensure that you receive MPA News and its otherwise attributed. dddddd Financial support for MPA News is Report: Quantifying environmental benefits of UK sister publication Marine Ecosystems and provided in part by grants from: Marine Bill Management in a timely manner, please make • David and Lucile Packard sure that our e-mail addresses — Foundation; and A new report quantifies the environmental benefits to and • Office of Ocean and Coastal come from implementing a network of MPAs in UK [email protected] Resource Management, National waters, as recommended last year in a proposed Marine [email protected] — are both on your Oceanic and Atmospheric e-mail account’s address list. Thank you very Administration (NOAA), Silver Bill to introduce a national marine planning system (MPA much. 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6 MPA News