Welcome to our first blog post! This blog is devoted to
marine protected areas. We are two undergraduate
biology students from Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John’s, NL. We
are doing this blog for a conservation biology class we are both enrolled in. We
hope that over the next months the information we provide here will be of some
interest and importance to you (the reader).
This blog will focus on the ideas and importance of marine
protected areas (MPA). A marine protected area is an area of sea that is
located off the continental land mass to conserve specific organisms and
habitat. MPAs are being established all over the world due to the impacts of
development, pollution, natural events (ex. Hurricane), overfishing and habitat
destruction. These areas can protect species during vulnerable stages of their
life and act as an insurance against poor management techniques.
Taken directly from the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)
website, MPAs are designated under the Oceans Act in order to protect and
preserve:
- Unique habitats
- Endangered marine species
- Commercial and non-commercial fishery resources and their habitats
- Areas of high biodiversity or biological productivity
Figure 1: Map of current MPAs
and areas of interest for MPAs in Canada. (DFO, 2012)
Figure 1 above shows a map of Canada and the locations of
current MPAs and areas of interest for future MPAs.
The value and need for MPAs are now well established and
accepted by the resource managers and the general public in Canada and other
areas of the world. However, many fishermen still have big concerns on how MPAs
will affect their economic requirements. Studies and documentation of
consequences in established MPAs will have to be done in order to address this
issue (Jamieson & Levings, 2001).
Over the next 8 weeks this blog will continue to illustrate
the conservation topic of MPAs and how Newfoundland and Labrador compares with
other jurisdictions in North America and in Europe.
References:
Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2012). “Marine Protected Areas”, http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/marineareas-zonesmarines/mpa-zpm/index-eng.htm, Retrieved on February 15, 2012.
Jamieson, G. S., & Levings, C. O. (2001). Marine protected areas in Canada—implications for both conservation and fisheries management. Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Services Vol. 58 Issue 1 , 138-156.
References:
Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2012). “Marine Protected Areas”, http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/marineareas-zonesmarines/mpa-zpm/index-eng.htm, Retrieved on February 15, 2012.
Jamieson, G. S., & Levings, C. O. (2001). Marine protected areas in Canada—implications for both conservation and fisheries management. Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Services Vol. 58 Issue 1 , 138-156.
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ReplyDeleteDo you know how long it will take to designate the "areas of interest" as an official MPA? Also, is there a set of specific criteria that these areas must meet to get approved as an MPA? We feel that there is a pressing need for MPAs, but we are also curious about the process involved with creating one. Any feedback would be great.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Steve, Shannon and Tom
Hi Steve, Shannon and Tom
ReplyDeleteWhen creating an MPA there is no set timing each MPA is different and could depend on if all the people involved are working together, if they have conflicts to resolve it may take longer could be a few years, could be ten years. When an MPA is being created there are many stakeholders involved and input is needed from everyone. The stakeholders may be the community, federal, provincial and local government, fisheries, and anyone who has been involved with the area of interest. An MPA can be chosen for a number of different reason but some of the main ones are to preserve a habitat(s), a biotic communities (for example an endangered species), and biodiversity. Hope that helps.
Ian and Carissa