Evaluating the social and ecological effectiveness of partially protected marine areas

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a primary tool for the stewardship, conservation, and restoration of marine ecosystems, yet 69% of global MPAs are only partially protected (i.e., are open to some form of fishing). Although fully protected areas have well-documented outcomes, including increased fish diversity and biomass, the effectiveness of partially protected areas is contested.

Partially protected areas are often proposed as a way to bolster marine life and to improve people’s enjoyment of the ocean—neither of which seems to be happening. Photo by Kai Egan/Alamy Stock Photo
In the Push for Marine Conservation, Partially Protected Areas Are a “Red Herring”

Compared to fully safeguarded marine protected areas, partially protected areas have little benefit for marine life or people’s enjoyment...an in-depth study of MPAs along Australia’s southern coast shows that these partially protected reserves are largely ineffective—both for protectin