Policy background of Marine Protected Areas

The European Commission has long recognized the importance of implementing an ecosystem approach to fisheries management and has been party to many international agreements adopting the principles of long-term, sustainable fishing.¹ In the Communication "Elements of a Strategy for the Integration of Environmental Protection Requirements into the Common Fisheries Policy"² , the Commission makes clear its intention that conservation of fisheries will not be limited only to those of commercial value but, within the context of an ecosystem-based approach, will take into consideration all environmental factors together with social and economic needs and attempt to strike a balance which may not always appear to be to the benefit of existing fishing operations. It would, of course, be hoped that ultimately the benefit to the community as a whole would become evident.

What are Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)?

"Marine protected areas" (MPAs) are seen as an instrument for improving both fishery management and marine environmental protection. Although such benefits are often easily identified, little real evidence exists to demonstrate the real effectiveness of MPAs.

This is due to insufficient information and instruments for MPA design, monitoring and evaluation - "Marine Protected Areas as a Tool for Ecosystem Conservation and Fisheries Management" (PROTECT) FP6 project which seeks to provide European policy-makers with improved tools for the identification, design and management of MPAs.

However, MPAs are not solely the preserve of the environmentalists - the fishing industry has been familiar with a type of MPA for many years, namely the fishery "box" where there may be seasonal closures or gear restrictions as part of a management regime for a particular commercial species.

In addition, areas of archeological interest, military exercise areas and safety zones around installations such as oil platforms, have been functioning as MPAs for many years and are de facto marine reserves.³

The OSPAR Network

A singularly important event in the establishment of MPAs was the Ministerial Meeting of the OSPAR Commission in Portugal in 1998 which adopted a new Annex V "On the Protection and Conservation of the Ecosystems and Biological Diversity of the Maritime Area" and a subsequent meeting in Bremen in June 2003 at which the OSPAR Commission produced "Guidelines for the Identification and Selection of Marine Protected Areas in the OSPAR Maritime Area".

It is envisaged that the OSPAR Commission will promote the establishment of a network of MPAs to ensure the sustainable use, protection and conservation of marine biological diversity and ecosystems - the OSPAR Network. The network will contribute to and take account of all other agreements, Conventions and Directives already in place.⁴

MPAs are certainly being considered as options in the EU repertoire of environmental protection strategies. It is a device which has been in place in many other parts of the world but on an ad hoc basis so, as yet, it is difficult to make valid comparisons or draw definitive conclusions on how much individual MPAs are contributing to good fisheries management. However, there are currently several EU research projects underway which will hopefully answer some of the questions being posed by both advocate and opponent of the MPA.      

Summaries

The summaries (Technical Leaflets) relating to Marine Protected Areas are:

• Marine Protected Areas in southern Europe as a tool for ecosystem conservation and fisheries management [EMPAFISH]
• Marine Protected Areas in northern Europe as a tool for ecosystem conservation and fisheries management [PROTECT]
• The value of exclusion zones as a fisheries management tool [VALFEZ]

Footnotes

1. Council Regulation (EC)2371/2002. 20 December 2002. On the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the Common Fisheries Policy. Official Journal of the European Union, L358(31/12/2002) (2002) 59-80.

2. Communication from the Commission setting out a Community Action plan to integrate environmental protection requirements into the CFP. COM (2002)186 final

3. Marine Protected Areas in the context of Marine Spatial Planning -discussing the links. A report for WWF-UK by Dr Susan Gubbay, November 2004

4. OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic "Guidelines for the Identification and Selection of Marine Protected Areas in the OSPAR Maritime Area". June 2003