A critical history of marine protected areas
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| Author keywords |
Aichi Target 11; History of MPAs; Marine Protected Areas; MPAs; MPA Policy |
| Authors | | Top |
- Humphreys, J.
- Clark, R.W.E.
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| Abstract |
Although forms of marine protected area (MPA) have existed for the best part of a century, the beginnings of a modern global movement can be traced to the first World Congress on National Parks in 1962. However new impetus was provided by the initiation in 1976 of a process which delivered exclusive rights to sovereign states over adjacent waters up to 200 nm out. The following decades were marked by a growing body of scientific evidence on the utility of MPAs and accelerating MPA designations. After the Rio ‘Earth Summit’ in 1992 a global MPA area target of 10% was established. Failure to achieve this by the 2010 deadline was followed by its replacement with ‘Aichi target 11’ requiring 10% coverage by 2020. Since then a cycle of target ‘gaming’ by sovereign states has necessitated repeated efforts to tighten MPA technical requirements. A technocratically driven dialectical style of international policy development has put increasing emphasis on stronger management and enforcement solutions, without sufficient reflection on the socio-economic factors which lie behind the gaming problem. Proposals to increase the area target to 30% are questionable until such time as a more considered role for MPAs is established within a comprehensive global conservation strategy applying to 100% of the marine environment. |
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