The Ocean… covers three-quarters of the earth; hosts around half of all known species; provides livelihoods for over 250 million people; supports the ancestral traditions of indigenous peoples; and feeds 2.6 billion people.
But the health of the oceans is deteriorating. From overfishing to coral bleaching to ocean acidification, the seas face challenges of unprecedented scope – demanding a new conservation tool.
Large Marine Reserves – protected areas 100,000 km² or greater – can mitigate many ecological challenges that smaller reserves cannot:
Case Studies
1.New Caledonia Natural Park of the Coral Sea
2.Palau
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
Policy Recommendations
- Ensure stakeholder involvement throughout LMR design, implementation, and monitoring processes
- Facilitate compliance by implementing education and awareness programs in regions directly affected by LMRs
- Balance the social and environmental sciences
- Mitigate negative impacts using a variety of compensation and incentive-based approaches, including additional livelihood options, direct payment, and alternative fishing locations.
- Generate awareness by communicating deeply relevant information
