Tribute to Bill Ballantine

Bill Ballantine — Brit-born marine scientist, “father of marine conservation” in his adopted New Zealand, and forceful advocate for no-take marine reserves worldwide — died on 1 November. MPA News had the honor and good fortune to interact with him many times over the years. He provided invaluable insights for several of our articles. He also gently scolded us for covering both no-take and multiple-use sites, as he considered no-take reserves to be the only truly protected areas. Bill’s legacy lives on in several New Zealand protected areas, including his beloved Leigh Marine Reserve, which he worked for 12 years to get designated. He will be greatly missed.

More coverage:

  • Tribute to Bill Ballantine, the father of marine reserves: https://oct.to/Zkx
  • Father of marine reserves Bill Ballantine has died: https://oct.to/Zkf
  • Moving farewell to Bill Ballantine: https://oct.to/ZkY

UN climate pact: What are the roles for MPAs moving forward?

The international agreement that was forged at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference represents a significant step forward in addressing the threats of global climate change. In upcoming issues, MPA News will examine the potential roles of MPAs in combating climate change — from Blue Carbon and “fish carbon” to building coastal resilience and more.


New training resources on protected area law and governance

IUCN has launched a set of free resources for teaching and training on protected area law and governance. Including seminar presentations, interactive exercises, and short videos, the resources are intended to support educators in a wide variety of settings. The training materials comprise 12 modules on different aspects of law and governance, and the modules can stand alone or work together in different combinations. They are available at www.protectedareaslaw.org


Reports on state of European MPAs

The European Environment Agency has released two reports to document the current state of MPAs in the EU and the spatial distribution of MPAs across the EEZs of 23 EU countries. Among the findings:

  • By the end of 2012, EU Member States had designated 5.9% of their seas as MPAs.
  • The Natura 2000 network is the cornerstone of MPAs in Europe. However, in its current form, the network is not set up to deliver an ecologically coherent and representative network in marine areas

The report “Marine protected areas in Europe’s seas — An overview and perspectives for the future” is available at https://oct.to/Zkg

The technical report “Spatial analysis of marine protected areas networks in Europe’s seas” is available at https://oct.to/ZkM


New book gives global overview of ocean uses and management strategies

The Routledge Handbook of Ocean Resources and Management provides a comprehensive examination of the use and management of the world’s oceans. The 612-page book provides information on relationships between people and the sea on a global scale; uses of the sea (e.g., food, ocean space, materials, and energy); and regional management strategies. Edited by Hance Smith, Juan Luis Suárez de Vivero, and Tundi Agardy, it is available for purchase (US $220) at http://www.routledge.com/products/9780415531757


From the MPA News vault: Features and news items from yesteryear

Five years ago: September-October 2010 (MPA News 12:2)

  • MPAs and Indigenous Peoples: Co-Management as a Means of Respecting Traditional Culture and Strengthening Conservation
  • Science Spotlight: Can Protected Areas Change Fish Behavior?

Ten years ago: October 2005 (MPA News 7:4)

  • MPA News Poll: The Coming Challenges for MPAs, and How to Address Them
  • MPA Perspective: Conservation Incentive Agreements as a Tool for Developing and Managing MPAs

Fifteen years ago: October 2000 (MPA News 2:4)

  • Communications and MPAs: How Practitioners Are Raising Awareness of MPA Issues
  • Reader Feedback on the Re-Opening of Closed Areas

For these and all other issues of MPA News, go to https://mpanews.openchannels.org/mpanews/archives