Controversial Role of Marine Protected Areas in Fisheries Management Essay Example for Free

Controversial Role of Marine Protected Areas in Fisheries Management Essay Marine protected areas (MPA) refer to the zones in which human activity has been placed under some restrictions for protection and restoration of the natural environment, its surrounding waters and the occupant ecosystems, and any cultural or historical resources that may require preservation or management. They play a dominant role in protecting marine biodiversity, ecosystem function and sustaining healthy coastal communities. MPA is relevant to biodiversity and scale, legal and compliance, and socio-culture (IUCN amp; UNEP-WCMC, 2010). It is a site-scale unit that is essential for conservation of marine biodiversity and maintenance of productivity of oceans. Also, the protection of MPA is integrated into various policies and environmental safeguards of international financial institutions. Besides, MPAs are recognized as traditional practices, cultural values, rights and involvement of local/indigenous communities in protection, use and management. This essay focuses on controversy surrounding MPAs. It discusses the direct benefits of marine protected areas, followed by the reasons why commercial and recreational fishers are against the designation of MPAs. Last, it proceeds with a personal judgement on the role and relevance of marine reserves with the case of Phoenix Islands Protected Area. Section 2 Marine protected areas have brought a number of direct benefits in terms of biological diversity, fisheries, science, recreation and tourism, and education. * Biological diversity MPA mitigate or even avoid risks of diversity loss by providing refuges for species and protects their habitats that support their livelihood without human disturbance. It also facilitates the protection of unique, endemic, rare, and threatened species over a fragmented habitat (Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2011). * Fisheries MPAs have improved fish catch and led to stable catch levels. The species are able to spawn or to produce eggs and grow to adults in ‘no-take’ reserves. Also, increasing abundance moves to neighboring areas resulting from the spillover effect. The migration contributes to productive stocks adjacent to marine protected areas. * Science MPAs have created undisturbed locations free from exploited uses for scientific studies with enormous research potential. Fishery biologists believe that protected zones can be used as controls to monitor and study the recovery of fish populations (Sanchirico 2000). * Recreation amp; tourism Well managed marine protected areas have attracted thousands of visitors to view abundant marine life from observatories, with glass-bottomed boats, by snorkeling or scuba diving (Kenchington, Ward amp; Hegerl, 2003). The establishment of marine reserves opens new opportunities for local economy as tourist attractions. * Education The protected zones offer people opportunities to observe undisturbed marine species. They pass on the values of MPAs to the community with understanding and demand for sustainable management of their marine environments (Kenchington, Ward amp; Hegerl, 2003). Section 3 Marine protected areas are used as a tool for fisheries management. These areas have brought both benefits and costs to fisheries management. On one hand, the closed areas offer a hedge against management errors by improving the long term management of fisheries. On the other hand, they raise management costs of additional monitoring and enforcement, or even utilization of new technology. However, there remain some management uncertainties. The long run success of MPAs is uncertain in controlling effort because fishers internalize the social cost of their activities and concentration of fishing effort moves to unprotected areas. Moreover, the openness of marine environments and the susceptibility to broad oceanographic shocks make the protected zones likely to be responsive to external factors (Sanchirico 2000). Lack of enforcement and monitoring of these areas will also call into doubt that they are effective hedges. Additionally, the overall impact is unclear with few empirical results on the protected areas and unprotected. Because of uncertain fisheries management, commercial and recreational fishers often do not support the designation of marine protected areas. For one reason, fishers are sometimes displaced from their traditional fishing grounds to the remaining non-protected areas. The congestion effect generates conflict between users of the resource affecting both the displaced trawler and the fixed-gear fishermen. Also, displaced fishers have to spend additional time and effort learning about stock concentrations and oceanographic conditions that exist in the remaining areas (Sanchirico, Cochran, amp; Emerson 2002). More importantly, the designation forces fishermen to venture out to more distant waters leading to potential occupational risks. For another reason, transport costs and capital costs are increased. More fuel and time are spent on searching fish, and equipment and devices should be purchased. Section 4 The Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) was established in 2008, located in the Republic of Kiribati (Wikipedia 2013). It is the largest marine protected area (MPA) in the Pacific Ocean with an area of 408,250 km2. PIPA offers natural habitat for both marine and terrestrial biodiversity, especially for coral reefs and green turtles. It has protected the indigenous natural heritage from human disturbance as well as restored the islands for terrestrial species. Marine protected areas contribute to maintenance of biological diversity, healthy ecosystem and the promising future for the coming generations. These areas are beneficial beyond fisheries and marine ecosystem. They support scientific research, serve as tourist destinations with rising incomes for the local and educate people with their values. The protected zones provide both natural and cultural values. Furthermore, the ocean is correlated with the land and the air. MPAs affect the land and the air indirectly but significantly because the three elements are in the natural cycle. Thus, only with well management of the areas will they bring the most benefits to the humans to the great extent. Section 5 1. Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2011, Government of Canada, viewed 16 May 2013, lt; http://www. dfo-mpo. gc. ca/oceans/publications/dmpaf-eczpm/framework-cadre2011-eng. asp#c7gt;. 2. Kenchington, R, Ward, T amp; Hegerl, E 2003, Commonwealth of Australia, viewed 16 May 2013, lt; http://www. environment. gov. au/coasts/mpa/publications/pubs/benefits-mpas. dfgt;. 3. IUCN amp; UNEP-WCMC 2010, UNEP amp; WCMC, viewed 16 May 2013, lt; http://www. biodiversitya-z. org/areas/46#topgt;. 4. Sanchirico, JN 2000, Resources for the Future, viewed 16 May 2013, lt; http://www. rff. org/Documents/RFF-DP-00-23-REV. pdfgt;. 5. Sanchirico, JN, Cochran, KA amp; Emerson, PM 2002, Resources for the Future, viewed 17 May 2013, lt; http://www. cbd. int/doc/case-studies/inc/c s-inc-rf-04-en. pdfgt;. 6. Wikipedia 2013, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. , viewed 17 May 2013, lt;http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Phoenix_Islands_Protected_Area#Natural_heritagegt;.