Perspective | Safeguarding MPAs amid the Mediterranean’s growing Blue Economy: Recommendations from the PHAROS4MPAs project

by John Davis | Jun 18, 2020

By Catherine Piante

The PHAROS4MPAs project, coordinated by WWF over the past two years, has explored how Mediterranean MPAs are affected by several maritime sectors, and how the environmental impacts of those sectors can be prevented or minimized.

The sectors studied were maritime transport, offshore windfarms, cruises, leisure boating, small-scale commercial fisheries, recreational fisheries, and marine aquaculture. The project has released a set of practical recommendations – excerpted below – for MPA managers, maritime spatial planning (MSP) authorities, and businesses.

Notes & News: 30×30 target – EU – UK – MPA Agency Partnership – US – Trump – India – Azores – Comic-style guide to MPAs – Stony coral disease – Around the web – From the MPA News vault

by John Davis | Jun 18, 2020

Scientists invited to sign letter supporting 30×30 target for MPAs

Over 100 marine scientists have already signed a letter calling on the UN Convention on Biological Diversity to set a target to safeguard 30% of the ocean in a network of “highly or fully protected, well-managed MPAs and other effective area-based conservation measures” by 2030. The letter, coordinated by Marine Conservation Institute, remains open for more signatories as of this writing (mid-June 2020). To read the letter and add your signature, click here.