Endangered SeasCampaign

Protecting

the future

of our

oceans

Protecting

the future

of our

oceans

Marine Reserves:Marine Reserves:

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The use of marine

reserves is not

new. For centuries

communities have restricted

access to marine areas –

through tradition or law – to protect their

resources and livelihoods. With more and more

pressure on the world’s dwindling fisheries

and vulnerable ocean habitat,

there is an urgent need to create

additional marine protected

areas to conserve fish and

other marine life for future

generations.

Marine Reserves:

Protecting

the future

of our

oceans

Today less than half of one percent of the seas lie within marineprotected areas, and most of these are under-resourced and poorlymanaged, offering little in the way of real protection. It is estimatedthat up to 80% of the world's marine protected areas are protectedin name only and are not actively managed at all.

Marine protected areas comein many different forms. Fullyprotected marine reserves – orareas closed to fishing and other harmful uses – are powerfulmanagement tools providing a range of benefits for fisheries,conservation and local economies. Faced with the consistentfailure of other management approaches, scientists,governments, conservationists – and fishers – areincreasingly calling to protect the future of ouroceans in this way.

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Fully protected marine reserves are powerfulmanagement tools.

From the deep-water coral reefs of Norway to the species-richwaters of Australia, WWF is working around the world to promotemarine protected areas. WWF's Endangered Seas Campaign isspecifically focusing on some of the most biologically diverse regions,promoting new marine reserves, ensuring that existing reserves aremanaged effectively and securing a future for coastal communities.

Within a comprehensive management plan, marine protectedareas provide coastal communities with a valuable conservationtool, allowing fish the chance to breed and grow. In many cases,the areas closed to fishing within a marine protected area aresmall yet still provide vital ecological and economic benefits.

What solutions do marine reserves offer?

Marine reserves that are closed to fishing and other harmfulactivities provide a range of benefits to coastal communities, thepublic and fishers by enhancing fisheries, safeguarding marinehabitat and increasing economic opportunities.

Fisheries benefit through –

• Enhanced production of offspring within reserves to restocknearby fishing grounds.

• Spillover from within the reserve of adult and juvenile fish, whichmay then be caught in the fishery.

• Protection of dwindling stocks of species particularly vulnerableto fishing effort.

...areas closed to fishingwithin a marine protected

area are small yet stillprovide vital ecologicaland economic benefits.

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The health of the oceans benefits from –

• The prevention of habitat damage and the promotion of habitatrecovery within reserves that are no longer subjected to the impactsof destructive fishing gear.

• More ‘natural’ marine ecosystems containing top predators andfish that have been allowed to grow to their adult size.

• Maintenance of biodiversity in areas that are not threatened by fishing.

Local economies benefit from –

• Alternative sources of income from activities, such as guiding visitors and recreational fishers, or taking visitorsscuba diving.

• An insurance policy for local fisheries. If other managementmeasures fail, at least some populations are protectedin reserves.

• Frequently increased catches outside of reserves due to theenhanced spawning and spillover.

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The challenge ahead

Many marine protected areas around the world are failing dueto a lack of commitment from local communities. Like a brokenrecord, the same lesson is proven time and time again in establishingthese reserves – without local commitment there is no realprotection, and without true involvement there is no commitment.

That’s why WWF is working hard in places like Belize, thePhilippines and the Florida Keys to build relationships oftrust with local fishers, divers and tour operators. Sometimesit takes years for local people to believe that they can benefitfrom reserves. But these investments are repaid by the commitmentshown by these communities, which today act as responsiblestewards of the oceans.

Ensuring critical areas are formally protected ischallenging. But the real work is managing marinereserves on day to day basis. Enforcing regulations canbe expensive and sometimes dangerous work.Experienced managers recognize that resources aremore effectively spent on education and outreachefforts. In many cases, such as in Tubbataha Reef inthe Philippines or in Dry Tortugas in the FloridaKeys, fishers who once protested against the

establishment of protected areas today help secure their futureby reporting offenders to authorities.

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With local, on-the-ground support, marinereserves flourish, providing substantial benefitsboth for fishers and the fish. It is essential that these benefits are documented andcommunicated to the local stakeholders andthe public, and in turn that they are recognizedfor their contribution to the future of our oceans.

Priority areas where WWF is taking action

WWF’s Endangered Seas Campaign is involved in marine protectedarea projects in some of the world's most biologically rich andthreatened regions. Together with local WWF staff, other non-governmental organizations, governments and local communities,the Endangered Seas Campaign is working to secure practicalsteps towards the establishment of effective protection forthese areas.

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, USA – WWFprovided technical input to help develop the proposedTortugas Ecological Reserve (an area closed to allfishing) and continues to promote its establishment.With the help of Motorola Corporation,communications equipment to help manage thereserve has been provided to sanctuary staff.

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Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park, The Philippines – WWFhas purchased new enforcement vessels to patrol this spectacularWorld Heritage Site. Teams are working with local communitiesto investigate the use of community-scale reserves to help sustainlocal fisheries.

Banc d’Arguin National Park, Mauritania – Home to theImragruen people, Africa’s largest marine park has been subjectto increasing threats from overfishing of mullet and sharks, drivenby demand from overseas markets. WWF is working to secureimproved legislation and enforcement on the ground, and funds

both staff and equipment to manage park resources.

Mediterranean Sea – The fisheries of theMediterranean have been consistently overfished,and are likely to benefit tremendously from theapplication of no-fishing-zones. The EndangeredSeas Campaign is funding an analysis with expertsin the Mediterranean to establish priorities forprotection in this highly threatened but uniquemarine ecoregion.

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The Mesoamerican Reef, Belize – Second in size only to Australia’sGreat Barrier Reef, the barrier reef of Belize is home to someof the last-remaining spawning aggregation sites for reeffish in the Caribbean. Working with local communityorganizations, WWF is helping stakeholders develop proposalsthat will regulate the impacts of foreign fishing vessels andexcessive tourism, which are a growing threat to this delicatebut spectacular reef system.

The Galapagos, Ecuador – Growing demand for sea-cucumberand shark fin in Asian markets has threatened the viabilityof one of the most famous and distinct marine ecosystemson earth. New legislation and the foresight of some local stakeholdersmay make the next decade the turning point in securing a sustainablefuture for the Galapagos. WWF has helped provide technicalassistance to design a system of no-fishing areas around theGalapagos Islands and lobbied to secure new legislation to protectthe islands’ unique marine species and habitats.

New legislation and theforesight of some localstakeholders may makethe next decade theturning point in securinga sustainable future forthe Galapagos.

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Everyone benefits

Establishing effective marine protected areas and no-fishing-zonesis no easy task. Closing selected areas to fishing and other humanactivities impacts may influence livelihoods, traditions andrecreational opportunities. But the restrictions are minimized,and the benefits maximized, when everybody affected gets involvedin the process. Sound science, the experience of fishingcommunities around the world and common sense all suggestthat protecting areas of ocean habitat from exploitation willincrease their productivity, and perhaps more importantly, ensurethat future generations have the opportunity to visit and benefitfrom healthy marine ecosystems.

...the restrictions are minimized,and the benefits maximized, when

everyone gets involved.

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Everyone has a stake in marine reserves:

• Commercial fishers ensure that the reserve's boundaries respecttheir knowledge about which fishing grounds to keep openand which nurseries and spawning grounds to enclose. In theyears following closure, they can expect increased catches andhealthier fish populations outside of the reserves.

• Recreational fishers make sure that valuable species are protected from exploitation and trophy fish given a chance to grow undisturbed.

• Divers and tour operators recognize that enjoyment of themarine realm is wholly dependent on the health of marinesystems. Working with other stakeholders, like commercialfishers, to develop marine protected areas helps reduce conflictbetween such groups.

WWF believes that there is an urgent need tocreate more marine reserves to conserve fishand other marine life for future generations.

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In order to ensure that our children inherit aliving planet, where the oceans continue to teemwith life and sustain human communities, WWF'sEndangered Seas Campaign is working withfishers and local communities, businesses andretailers, as well as governments andenvironmental organizations to:

• Safeguard fisheries and marine biologicaldiversity by establishingmarine protected areas.

• Reduce wasteful government subsidies thatcontribute to overfishing.

• Create market incentives for sustainable fishingthrough the Marine Stewardship Council'scertification initiative.

WWF’s Endangered Seas Campaign1250 24th Street, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20037, USATel: 1-202-293-4800Fax: 1-202-293-9211Web: www.panda.org/endangeredseas/

WWF InternationalAvenue du Mont Blanc1196 Gland, SwitzerlandTel: 41 22 364 9028Fax: 41 22 364 0526E-mail: lhurt@wwfint.org

Endangered SeasCampaign

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