Human dimensions of Marine Protected Areas

Abstract

Charles, A., and Wilson, L. 2009. Human dimensions of Marine Protected Areas. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 6–15. Planning, implementing, and managing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) requires that attention be paid not only to the biological and oceanographic issues that influence the performance of the MPA, but equally to the human dimensions: social, economic, and institutional considerations that can dramatically affect the outcome of MPA implementation. This paper explores ten human dimensions that are basic to the acceptance and ultimate success of MPAs: objectives and attitudes, “entry points” for introducing MPAs, attachment to place, meaningful participation, effective governance, the “people side” of knowledge, the role of rights, concerns about displacement, MPA costs and benefits, and the bigger picture around MPAs. These people-orientated factors and their impact on the success and effectiveness of MPAs are examined in relation to experiences with MPAs globally, and in relation to two Canadian examples specifically, one coastal (Eastport, Newfoundland) and the other offshore (the Gully, Nova Scotia).

From measuring outcomes to providing inputs: Governance, management, and local development for more effective marine protected areas

“…These figures raise questions about the number of MPAs that are achieving their ecological objectives or potential. Furthermore, many of the potential ecological benefits of MPAs are threatened by broader environmental conditions and extreme events [34,39], levels of management in the broader seascape [11,40,41], and impacts of current and future development within MPAs [42].…”

“…Policies that support effective management and natural-resource dependent livelihoods include clear rules of access and territorial rights, recognition of title/tenure, laws to support enforcement, legal mechanisms to support and guarantee meaningful participation in design and implementation, and clarity of MPA objectives [11,40,54,55,116,[118][119][120][121]. Congruence is also required between formal regulations, informal rules, and customary norms and practice [120], facilitated by policies that support the incorporation of local management systems and rules into MPA management and regulations [122,123].…”

“…A key factor that influences the success of MPAs is the initial design and implementation process since this is a time when local support can be gained or lost [10,11]. Three main themes cut across the literature on MPA implementation and design.…”

“…Ecologically, MPAs have been shown to be effective at protecting or reducing degradation of habitats and ecosystems [4,6,7] and increasing biomass and species diversity, richness, and numbers [8,9]. While the principal mandate of MPAs is conservation of marine resources and biodiversity, beneficial local development outcomes are also a pre-cursor of local support for these initiatives [10,11].…”

Evaluating the effect of fishery closures: Lessons learnt from the Plaice Box

“…In addition to ecological processes, the performance of closed areas will also be affected by the social, economic and institutional dimensions which are critical to their success (Charles and Wilson, 2009;Jennings, 2009). …”