Committing to Effective Marine Protected Areas
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committing to effectivemarine protected areas Illustrations: Laura Timmermans; icons: Document by Maximilian Becker; Meeting by Scott Lewis, both from The Noun Project Photo: Rowan Trebilco Rowan Photo: summary British Columbians expect their province to be well-managed, especially the marine environment. They want marine protected areas (MPAs) that provide excellent ecological, economic and social benefits. To achieve these goals, MPAs must be no well-designed and well-managed. plan Identifying and designating sites to build a marine protected area (MPA) network are just the first steps toward realizing the benefits of MPAs. The next steps are to: • build support among local communities and marine users has a • name who will govern the MPA and how governance will be organized plan • develop a management plan to monitor and research MPA effectiveness • support ongoing stewardship and enforce regulations In today’s world, a single government can’t do it alone. Governments must partner with in canada’s pacific each other, and with local communities. Working together can build and enforce effective 148 of 197 MPAs hAve MPA networks that help boost local economies. With commitment — and creativity — it can be done. approved managementno plan governments must commit to making mpas work Photo: Tanaka Juuyoh via Flickr Juuyoh Tanaka Photo: steps to effective mpas Effective MPAs need the Current B.C. MPAs seriously A need for commitment following to achieve their lacking Collaborative processes involving federal, intended benefits: Most existing MPAs in B.C. lack manage- provincial and First Nations governments • Governance systems that clarify ment or enforcement, rendering them are recommending a network of MPAs. responsibility for enforcing rules and ineffective. Auditors general at both the Monitoring and compliance frameworks development of management plans. provincial and federal level have recently for this network need clear and commit- • Outreach and education so communi- reported a lack of systematic monitoring ted support and funding from all levels of ties and user groups understand why of federally established MPAs and provin- government. MPAs are established, how they can cially protected areas.12, 13 As of 2011, 148 Resources are used more effectively when benefit their lives and what they can of 197 MPAs in Canada’s Pacific had no federal, provincial, First Nations and local do to help. approved management plan.15 governments collaborate, and engage local • Monitor for ecological change to Although many provincial MPA plans communities in the components of MPA assess how well MPAs achieve their intend to protect habitats or species effectiveness outlined above. purpose, and modify if required. affected by extractive activities, the prov- • Monitor and enforce rules to ensure ince does not have jurisdiction over many the MPA is able to protect the ecologi- of those activities, including fishing.14 cal values for which it was created. No federal staff have been made responsi- ble for enforcing fishery closures or other regulations in provincial protected areas. BC MPAs not meeting goals: weredesigned to Canada can receive global recognition if it creates % prohibit resource90 extraction effective MPAs. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has established a Green List not one15 7 does reward system for well-managed protected areas. effective mpas are an economic win Photo: Coastal Guardian Watchmen Guardian Coastal Photo: First Nations are the original stewards of their territories, governing their lands and waters according to Indigenous laws. Guardian Watchmen — First Nation stewardship staff — patrol the Coast, protecting and monitoring natural and cultural resources and ensuring compliance with Indigenous, federal, and provincial laws. Protect MPA investments An opportunity for innovation Enforcement of MPAs, Governments are investing time and Monitoring and outreach programs are an money to establishing an MPA network. It opportunity to employ new technologies fishery closures and fishery is only logical to protect that investment by and methods. In the Canadian Pacific, GPS management in Georges following through to maximize benefits. technology on commercial fishing vessels has improved commercial compliance Bank on North America’s Advance existing stewardship in fishery closure areas such as Rockfish east coast has led to and surveillance programs Conservation Areas.5 In California, applications for mobile devices inform increased abundance B.C. has many successful local stewardship marine users about MPA regulations and surveillance programs. For exam- of commercially important and boundaries.2 Several other remote ple, First Nations in coastal B.C. operate technologies for monitoring are being used fish stocks and recovery of stewardship and Watchmen teams that or explored in the Pacific U.S.1, 4, 11 3 are knowledgeable about local areas and sea-bottom habitats. respected by their communities. With Building monitoring fees into conditions for appropriate training and support, they are use and tenure of marine areas can help Traditional marine well-placed to monitor and enforce marine pay for protection costs. Overhead and protection programs.9, 17 logistical costs can be reduced by protection measures in transferring monitoring from central- Other community stewardship organiza- Ahus Island, Papua New ized government agencies to trained and tions exist in coastal B.C., and have been resourced local communities and field Guinea —including limiting involved in initiatives such as species at staff.6 These programs can then boost risk protection. These groups can also be the harvest to two days a regional economies and jobs. resourced and empowered to participate in year and five per cent of the MPA monitoring, outreach and education. biomass — have led to 100 per cent compliance and increases in fish biomass.10 community involvement makes MPAs effective Photo: Marie Fournier Photo: Wardens from non-profit organizations such as Cetus Research and Conservation Society educate boaters and help protect killer whales. Canadians want to see results of deterrents, community vigilance, respect Lessons Learned marine protection for local needs and simplified logistics to B.C. fishers are asking for monitoring employ those living nearby all add to the Marine users know when protected areas in Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs), value of working with communities. are appropriately enforced. Compliance a type of fishery closure. There are no increases with increased outreach and systematic programs for baseline data Involving local communities monitoring. Communities and stakeholder collection or monitoring in RCAs. Lack of increases compliance with MPA groups will support marine protection outreach has resulted in recreational fish- rules. measures that demonstrate benefits. ers in particular being unaware of fishing Outreach and education enables resource prohibitions in RCAs. Lack of research and Local communities drive the users and communities to understand education makes it unclear whether rock- most effective MPAs the reasons for, and nature of, protection fish populations are recovering in RCAs, mechanisms. Investment in engaging local or if some need modification to be more Research demonstrates that enforcement communities reduces confusion, creates effective. This teaches us that monitor- is a requirement for effective MPAs. Inter- better relations and minimizes problems ing and outreach programs should be a national experience shows that protected down the road.8 requirement of MPA network creation.5 areas are more easily enforced when local communities are involved in MPA design and enforcement, and feel they will benefit from the MPA.8, 10, 16 Local knowledge, social Partnerships between government regulatory authorities and locally respected stewardship groups can have great results. Photo: Degan Walters Degan Photo: Photo: Asha Wareham Photo: actions Governments must commit to making MPAs work 1. Design MPAs in consultation with communities, create simple boundaries and regulations, and use a variety of outreach and education tools to make them accessible to marine users. 2. Write a management plan for each MPA with adequate budgets and staff to coordinate enforcement of the plans. 3. Develop intergovernmental agreements and partnerships with local organizations to educate, monitor and enforce. 4. Undertake scientific baseline studies upon MPA establishment, followed by regular monitoring to assess MPA effectiveness. Photo: Marie Fournier Photo: References 12. Office of the Auditor General of British Columbia. 2010. Conservation of ecological integrity in B.C. parks and protected areas. Auditor General 1. Brooke, S.D., Lim, T.Y. and J.A. Ardron. 2010. Surveillance and enforce- of British Columbia: Victoria. ment of remote maritime areas. Paper 1: surveillance technical options. Marine Conservation Biology Institute: USA, 37 pp. 13. Office of the Auditor General of Canada. 2012. Report of the Com- missioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development. Chapter 3: 2. California Department of Fish and Wildlife. California marine protected Marine Protected Areas. Government of Canada: Ottawa. areas: frequently asked questions. http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/mpa/ faqs.asp (Accessed February 2014). 14. Robb, C.K., Bodtker, K.M., Wright, K. and J. Lash. 2011. Commercial fisheries closures in marine protected areas on Canada’s Pacific coast: the 3. Fogarty, M.J. and S.A. Murawski. 2004. Do marine