June 12, 2020
sprep-pa
Public consultation on the proposed network of marine protection for the southeast South Island has resumed. The consultation process, originally due to end on April 17, was postponed because of Covid-19.
June 5, 2020
sprep-pa
Managers of the American fisheries operating in the Pacific Ocean have asked President Donald Trump to open four national marine monuments to commercial fishing—a request that could inhibit protections in areas set aside, in part, for dwindling fish populations to renew themselves.
Unwanted networks: Vessel traffic heightens the risk of invasions in marine protected areas
Invasive species pose a significant threat to a primary objective of marine conservation, protecting native biodiversity. To-date, research quantifying invasion risk to marine protected areas (MPAs) is limited despite potential negative consequences. As a first step towards identifying invasion risk to MPAs via vessel ballast or biofouling, we evaluated vessel traffic patterns by applying graph-theoretic concepts for 1346 vessels that connected invaded areas (‘invasion nodes’) along the Northeast Pacific coast to MPAs within Canadian waters in 2016.
Evaluating the effectiveness of a large multi-use MPA in protecting Key Biodiversity Areas for marine predators
Marine protected areas can serve to regulate harvesting and conserve biodiversity. Within large multi-use MPAs, it is often unclear to what degree critical sites of biodiversity are afforded protection against commercial activities. Addressing this issue is a prerequisite if we are to appropriately assess sites against conservation targets. We evaluated whether the management regime of a large MPA conserved sites (Key Biodiversity Areas, KBAs) supporting the global persistence of top marine predators.
MPA & LMMA in Milne Bay Province
This report provides some of the thoughts or points to consider in setting up MPAs (marine protected areas) and LMMAs (locally managed marine areas) with the local communities in Milne Bay Province
Marine Bioregions of Vanuatu
There are not perfect data which describe the distribution and abundance of every marine habitat and species in the Pacific. And certainly not at a scale that is useful for national planning in the ocean. Bioregionalisation, or the classification of the marine environment into spatial units that host similar biota, can serve to provide spatially explicit surrogates of biodiversity for marine conservation and management. Existing marine bioregionalisations however, are at a scale that is too broad for national governments in the Pacific to use.
Cook Islands Protected Areas Data (WDPA, August 2019)
Cook Islands Protected Areas (PA) data from the World Database (WDPA). This dataset includes both tables and spatial data.
December 12, 2019
sprep-pa
Climate change is not being taken into account in the design and management of marine parks, according to research featuring University of Queensland scientists.
November 28, 2019
sprep-pa
The southern Cook Islands of Atiu, Mauke and Mitiaro have turned down a request that local company Ocean Fresh be allowed to fish commercially within 50 nautical miles of their islands. The Nga Pu Toru say they will uphold the Marae Moana legislation...The establishment of the Marae Moana marine
Gaps in Protection of Important Ocean Areas: A Spatial Meta-Analysis of Ten Global Mapping Initiatives
To safeguard biodiversity effectively, marine protected areas (MPAs) should be sited using the best available science. There are numerous ongoing United Nations and nongovernmental initiatives to map globally important marine areas. The criteria used by these initiatives vary, resulting in contradictions in the areas identified as important. Our analysis is the first to overlay these initiatives, quantify consensus, and conduct gap analyses at the global scale.