The Pew Charitable Trusts and its work to
The Pew Charitable Trusts and its work to establish large fully protected marine reserves Alistair Gammell Director Global Ocean Legacy in UK
Up until recently, it was widely believed that humans could not do serious damage to the ocean
Over-fishing and the status of global fish stocks
RECENT SUMMITS & CONVENTIONS— 10 -40% OF WORLD’S OCEANS NEED PROTECTION • World Summit on Sustainable Development--Called for a representative system of marine reserves by 2012 • Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)--Protect 10% of the oceans by 2020 • World Parks Congress--Representative network of 20 -30% protected by 2020 • Governments of Micronesia--Protect 30% marine resources (Micronesian Challenge) • Former President Sarkozy of France--10% of France’s EEZ protected by 2012 and 20 percent by 2020, with half no-take • Greenpeace--40% of oceans in marine reserves
Area of World’s Oceans in MPAs/Reserves Size of Ocean: 361, 000 sq km Protected Number MPAs 6, 594 ≈2 6, 498, 000 No-take 2, 898 ≈1 3, 934, 900 Source: MPAtlas. org % of world’s oceans Area (sq km)
Meeting these Challenges • Far behind these benchmarks • We need many more large and small MPAs • MPAs need to be “real” protected areas • Management and enforcement needs to be adequate
The MPA opportunity/problem High human coastal population Some opportunity for small MPAs Marine reserves very difficult Low fishing pressure High fishing pressure Greatest opportunity for large MPAs Some opportunity for small MPAs Low human coastal population
AIM: to establish very large, highly protected marine reserves around the world where fishing and other extractive activities are prohibited.
Environmental issues • Why protect areas • Where is the best place • What is the best design • “Why here”?
Economic issues • What is a protected area worth? • Income foregone • Cost of enforcement • Cost of science and management
Social issues • Who are the stakeholders • Who gets to decide • Winners and losers • Exceptions • Spillover
Legal issues • Legislation and penalties • International law
Chagos Marine Reserve • Centre of the Indian Ocean, 640, 000 sq km • Large US military base • Controversial history in which the UK retained them but removed the islanders to Mauritius • The world’s largest fully protected marine reserve with half the remaining healthy coral in the Indian Ocean • The former fishery was worth about £ 800, 000 pa.
Pitcairn Islands • Located in the remote central South Pacific • Consists of four small islands, but Pitcairn is the only one inhabited. • Population of about 50, who support a marine reserve • More than 836, 000 square kilometers • No economic fishery and government subsidy of about £ 3 million a year.
South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands • Situated more than 1, 700 kilometers from the southern tip of South America in a remote expanse of the South Atlantic Ocean. • Massive seabird (including penguin), seal and whale populations • Deep water trench and thermal vents • Total income about £ 5½ million/year balanced budget
- Slides: 15