Geoff Dews and Jo Akroyd

Overview of Lecture Management of the Marine Environment

Coral Distribution

Mangrove Distribution

Seagrass Distribution

Management Intervention The level of environmental management intervention required is dependant on the outcome desired and can be translated into various levels of government responsibilities. Levels of governance can be viewed as either international, national, provincial and community responsibilities.

Marine Protected Areas The most discussed planning tool in the marine and coastal sector is the marine protected areas and or area of special management arrangements. The definition that is accepted for describing marine protected area is : a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values

MPAs The biophysical guiding principles for the establishment of marine and coastal management areas can be based on the concept of the designated area for management being: 1.Comprehensive, 2.Adequate and 3.Representative (CAR) These principles are guides to what, how much and where particular habitats are included into any management agreement.

Criteria Principle Explanation

Terminology IUCN Catergories Strict Nature ReserveManaged mainly for science Wilderness AreaTo protect wilderness qualities National PackEcosystem protection and recreation National MonumentConservation of natural features Habitat speciesConservation through management intervention Landscape/SeascapeConservation and recreation Resource protected areaSustainable use of natural ecosystems

Aim of MPAs “No-take” reserves where all forms of extraction are prohibited are most likely to be established in MPAs of either IUCN category 1A of 1B or Category 11 MPAs may also consist of more than one category

MPAs An MPAs is: A marine area protected from some or all forms of human exploitation and human intervention No-take areas can allow passive activities that do not extract fish etc.

No-take Reserves Have the potential have a critical role in providing support for fish stock and insurance hedge for uncertainties for fish stock assessments A key ingredient in the mixture of measures that is needed to re-direct world fisheries towards sustainablility

International Guidance Call for a range of reponses to the issues of but offers little in operation guidance Jakarta Mandate and Coastal Biodiversity provides policy little in guidance Ocean policy call for an integration of management using EBM

Benefits Support stock management Support fisheries stability Ecological offsets Improved socio-economic outcomes from local communities Spill-over effect

As a result of the effects of increasing densities and sizes of the individuals with the protected area results in a proportion of the population moving across the boundaries of the protected area in search of shelter and food for reproduction

Economic Benefits Improved habitat within reserves Lower fishery management costs Suitable strategies to deal with displaced effort Accounting for no-consumptive economic value of fish abundance

Marine Reserves Simplest form – all forms of fishing may be permitted within a designated area This is most useful in estuary to protected habitat near urban areas e.g habitat Qld Fish Habitat Areas (FHA) Objective are to protect the integrity, structure and fish habitat values of all aquatic habitats within the boundary of the declared area

GBRMPA 80 areas closed to fishing 16,000 sq km 4.5 % of total area of GBRMP 23% of area of reef Areas that have been closed for 10 years are more abundant larger and older than those in adjacent areas that have been open to fishing (Mapstone et al.)

Community Based Resource Management Locally managed marine areas (LMMA) Perceived benefits by communities Recovery of natural resources Increases local catches Improved governance Economic opportunities Improved security of tenure Cultural recovery Improved food security

LMMA Response to ‘paper parks’ A way of strengthening cultural management 2001 survey in the Pacific listed 130 MPAs in 14 countries However the it little enforcement nor monitoring of these MPAs The role and function of the MPAs may not be well understood at Government or community level

Community Conservation Development (Govern 2009) Main DevelopmentProtected Areas 1900 Wide spread customary tenure and traditional resource management Taboos, sacred sites, fishing closures 1900s Colonial rule – erosion of traditional systems 5 protected sites 1950 colonial rule – imposition of terrestrial “Parks” CCA in decline 1960 Declonization11 nature reserves and national parks 1970 independence of most SIDS 70 PAs declared 1980 increased awareness of conservation to reduce decline in local environments Increased in CCA and MPAs 1990 increased awareness of importance of community participation 115 PA of which half are CCA and a third MPAs

Benefits(Ward, Heinemann and Evans 2001) Increase in size of stock Have greater success than traditional controls of maintaining sustainable fisheries Reduce overfishing Protect species vulnerability Protected incidental mortality on spawning grounds Buffer for natural recruitment

Benefits Education and awareness Improve rate of recovery Improve predictability Reduce shocks to natural variability Increase genetic diversity Reduce effects of fishing selectivity Reduce risk of disruption of ecosystem structure Makes enforcement easier

Benefits (Cont.) Allows for variation to be easily detected Protected against management failure Basis for rebuilding stock Areas for scientific studies

Reason for failure of MPAs LMMA Enforcement No biodiversity benefits if they are not sited in the most optimum place No legislation No community compliance Difficult to measure success Expensive Need skills Long term political commitment Direct benefits are not obvious Complicated to manage and enforce