MPA News
Letter to the Editor
Dear MPA News: As a matter of general principle, the Tasmanian Fishing Industry Council is opposed to the introduction of no-take MPAs unless we can be satisfied that it is demonstrably in the best interests of our members and coastal communities. Locking up areas of marine waters around Tasmania (MPA News 3:4) is an extremely contentious issue, and we have yet to see positive evidence that proves marine reserves actually benefit the commercial fishing industry. Tasmanian commercial fishing industry members hold licenses, quota and gear allocations etc. which apply to all areas of water where fishing is allowed. If areas…
Sea Shepherd, an International NGO, Participates in Enforcement at Two MPAs
Managers of two world-renowned marine protected areas have enlisted the enforcement assistance of an NGO that has made a name for itself in direct-action efforts against illegal whalers and driftnetters. In recent months, the Galapagos Marine Reserve (Ecuador) and the Cocos Island National Park (Costa Rica) have each teamed up with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for help in patrolling their waters against illegal fishers. Sea Shepherd, a US-based NGO with operations around the world, is perhaps best known for its ramming and sinking of various whaling vessels in the past two decades. In the Galapagos and Cocos Island, Sea…
Australia to Assess 11 Potential MPA Sites
Australian Environment Minister Robert Hill announced plans in late September to assess the conservation value of 11 marine areas in Australian waters — the first step toward potential designation of these sites as marine protected areas. The sites include shoals, plateaus, and canyons, as well as a blue whale aggregation site. The main purpose of the conservation assessments will be to advise the government on whether to proceed with designating each of the sites as an MPA. Hill did not specify the likelihood that each of the 11 sites targeted for assessment would eventually receive formal MPA designation. As required…
Workshop Results: Tips from Managers on Improving Science in MPA Management
Last month, MPA News published the advice of an international group of scientists on how to improve the conduct and use of science in MPA management. The advice came out of a July 2001 workshop on the topic held in Cleveland, Ohio (USA), involving scientists and managers from more than 20 countries. The workshop was directed by the US National Ocean Service, and immediately preceded the Coastal Zone 2001 conference. Below, MPA News publishes an excerpt of the advice offered by managers at the workshop. Like last month’s tips from scientists, the managers’ input arose from a brainstorming session at…
MPA Perspective: Marine Protected Areas in the North Sea
By the Fisheries Society of the British Isles
Concern has been widely expressed about fishery and other impacts on the North Sea, where the spawning stock biomass of most commercially important marine species has been reduced to less than 10% of its unexploited size and many fishery practices may be unsustainable. Besides being a source of mortality for both target and by-catch species, other effects of current fishing practices on stocks such as (i) alteration of the normal age structure, (ii) disruption of reproductive behavior, (iii) reduction in genetic diversity, (iv) habitat degradation and shifts in ecosystem structure, and (v) long-term economic losses are becoming progressively more apparent.
Conferences in November 2001
November 4-7, 2001 — Amsterdam, The Netherlands. “6th International Conference of the Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society.” Conference will exchange current knowledge and strategies for assessment of aquatic ecosystem health. Web: www.caos.nl/aehms November 5-8, 2001 — Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. “Oceans 2001.” Conference will include sessions on marine habitat restoration, marine mammals, coral reefs, pelagics management, and other topics. Web: www.oceans2001.com November 7-10, 2001 — Dakar, Senegal. “Pacem in Maribus 2001.” Annual conference will examine potential of ocean resources to sustain mankind; organized by the International Ocean Institute. Web: www.ioinst.org/PIM2002 November 16-17, 2001 — Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, British…
Managers of Cultural MPAs Face Unique Challenges
In global discussions on the practice of MPAs, the focus is usually on how to manage marine natural resources most effectively — namely fish stocks and habitats. But several MPAs around the world exist for the protection of cultural, rather than natural, resources. These MPAs, often designated around historic shipwrecks, present some unique challenges for their managers.
This month, MPA News examines these challenges and, in a feature immediately following this article, assesses what a pending United Nations agreement on protecting "underwater cultural heritage" could spell for cultural MPAs.
UNESCO Draft Convention on Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage: An Introduction
At present, there is no international instrument to provide significant legal protection to underwater cultural heritage — shipwrecks, sunken cities, underwater cave paintings, and so forth. Although some nations possess laws to provide protection in their own waters, others don’t. This has led to confusion about the rights of a nation to protect its cultural heritage, whether submerged in its own waters or another nation’s, or on the high seas. This could soon change. From October 15 through November 3 of this year, the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will meet to discuss,…
New Atlas of World’s Coral Reefs Sheds Light on Status of MPAs
A new atlas prepared by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP-WCMC) provides what it describes as the first detailed accounting of the state of coral reefs around the world. The glossy, 424-page World Atlas of Coral Reefs offers full-page maps depicting reefs and associated MPAs, and assesses the threats facing both. The atlas divides its subject into three broad geographic realms: the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific; the wider Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia; and the Pacific. These are then subdivided into regional chapters, then smaller sections. Each section covers a range of issues, including…
Workshop Results: Tips from Scientists on Improving Science in MPA Management
Scientists and managers from more than 20 countries gathered in July to share information on the role of science in MPA management. In a workshop held prior to the Coastal Zone ’01 conference in Cleveland, Ohio (US), attendees discussed ways to improve coordination of science and management, including through the enhanced participation of local stakeholders. The three-day international workshop — directed by the US National Ocean Service and sponsored by several organizations — culminated in a brainstorming session to provide advice on improving the conduct and use of MPA science. The workshop participants and their results were divided into two…