Solving the crisis in the seasDo Marine Protected Areas do the job?

Mark D Spalding

Crisis? What crisis?

Eutrophication, hypoxia and dead zones

NASA Earth Observatory

P.J. Hahn

Marine fisheries

FAO, 2012

Increasing fishing power

Albatun Tres – 115m seiner takes up to 3000 tons of tuna from a single trip

Marine Protected Areas

“A protected area is a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.”

Vast and strictly protected

Large, multiple uses: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Wavelength.com

Northern Prawn Fishery

Monterrey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Small, strict no-take

T and J Enderby

Paul Naylor

Small, partially protected

NOAA

Almost meaningless

Carol Stoker, NASA

Crown Copyright/MOD 2012

From Diktat to Dialogue

Global targets

• By 2012: Marine and coastal MPA networks “should include strictly protected areas that amount to at least 20–30% of each habitat” (Vth World Parks Congress, 2003)

• By 2010/2012: “at least 10% of the worlds marine and coastal ecological regions to be effectively conserved” (CBD, 2006)

• …by 2020: “10 percent of coastal and marine areas, especially those of importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved…” (CBD, UNEP, 2010)

What are MPAs achieving, and where?

• Massive benefits for biodiversity

What are MPAs achieving, and where?

• Massive benefits for biodiversity• Benefits for fishers, recreation, tourism…

•>10,000 sites•2.3% of the ocean•7.9% of continental shelf•1.79% of off-shelf waters•0.17% of the high seas

Where?

Spalding et al., 2013

Remote, massive MPAs High Seas

Locally managed marine areasInternational declarations

Where are we going?the big new stories in MPAs

Hitting the Target

Wood et al, 2008

Wood et al, 2008

New predictions

Hitting the Target

…but missing the point?“A protected area is a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.” …by 2020: “10 percent of coastal and marine areas, especially those of importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved…” (CBD, UNEP, 2010)

2 clams 4 clams

Ecosystem services

Aligning with ecosystem services

Areas with high coastal populations have low MPA coverage

Mapping value

Mapping value

FR = 8.02W 0.58 e

(-0.015T-27)2

Where W is dry tissue mass, T is temperature °C

Used modified SWAN model (Suzuki et al., 2011) to estimate wave attenuation behind a mangrove island in front of the portMangroves on island increase the return period of a 2.5m wave reaching the port from 20 years to 60 years. An extension of the island to the north would further decrease wave height at the port.

Mapping valueDhamra Port, Orissa, India

(Narayan et al. , 2010)

© SFG

Planning and managing for synergies,

sharing experiences

TURFs in ChileLoco Fishery RecoveredDensities in TURFs Dramatically Higher

Than Open AccessStrong Incentive for Enforcement

> 700 TURFs> 40,000 Fishers

Gelcich et al. 2008 - 2012

Linking MPAs to people:California’s Central Coast Ground fish Project

Partnership between:

• TNC, regulatory agencies and trawl fishermen

• Started in 2005

Shared Goal: • Economically and

environmentally sustainable ground fish fishery

Bill Blue, Morro Bay fisher sorting his recent catch blackcod by size

© Michael Bell, TNC

Not always win-win for everyone

• Opportunity costs• Paradoxical impacts– Displacement– Investing in better gear to catch more in

surroundings– Starting new fisheries!

• Certain fisheries may be a lower-value ocean use!

Crowded oceans, multiple users

AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert

$108

$180,000(

$27,000)

Chris Gotschalk

Alexander Mustard

Bringing ES values to the table

GAUFRE, 2005

Where is this taking us?

Final thoughts

• MPAs are a critical tool:– for biodiversity – AND for people!

• Engage people!• Look for synergies, but don’t always expect

win-win-win-win• Quantify values, don’t talk in generalities• Protect 100% of the oceans, not 10%