The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released a new report last week on the economic benefits of marine protected areas. Case studies from Hawaii, Fiji, the Philippines, and England showed that setting aside key ocean areas can help boost fishery and tourism revenues.
“These case studies show that closing selected marine areas to fishing or other extractive uses makes economic sense,” says Carl Gustaf Lundin, Head of IUCN’s Global Marine Programme, which compiled the studies. “Marine protected areas, if well managed, help fish stocks replenish, which then increase yields in neighbouring areas and improve the economic situation of the local communities.”
Less than one per cent of the world’s oceans are currently protected, compared to about 12 percent of the land surface. The State of California is working to protect state waters with a network of underwater parks. If the IUCN study is any indication, California's new marine parks should provide long-term ecological and economic benefits for coastal communities.
May 26, 2009
MPAs boost coastal economies
