COAST ‘Despite considerable pressure from the mobile fishing lobby, who seem intent on ruining the Scottish Government’s best efforts to create a well-managed network of MPAs, Richard Lochhead is determined Scotland will have a credible MPA network. At the recent Inshore Fisheries Conference (October 2015) he said ‘Scotland’s seas are not owned by any one […]
The European Commission has published a report on the progress in establishing Marine Protected Areas (as required by Article 21 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC). View the report at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/marine/eu-coast-and-marine-policy/implementation/pdf/marine_protected_areas.pdf.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister, John Key, announced on 28 September 2015 that his nation plans to create a South Pacific marine sanctuary the size of France, saying it would protect one of the world’s pristine ocean environments. The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary would cover an area of 620,000 square kilometers about 1,000 kilometers off New Zealand’s […]
Conservation needs places where nature is left wild; but only a quarter of coastal countries have no-take Marine Reserves. ‘Marine Protected Areas’ (MPAs) have been used to indicate conservation progress but we found that 94% allow fishing and thus cannot protect all aspects of biodiversity. Biodiversity conservation should focus on Marine Reserves, not MPAs. Highlights […]
This depressing series of events raises lots of questions Bob Earll Fines Do the fines for fishing in MPAs need to be higher since those at present are clearly no deterrent? Perhaps the fines should build cumulatively on particular vessels or owners. One, two, three strikes and you’re out? In any event they cause disproportionate […]
Decent design – Before and After Control impact (BACI) – to establish the effects of MPAs ‘Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are increasingly being implemented as tools to conserve and manage fisheries and target species. Because there are opportunity costs to conservation, there is a need for science based assessment of MPAs. Here, we present one […]
Nick Underdown: Scottish Environment Link: ‘ We’ve just published this: This blog has attempted to chart the long, and sometimes torturous, process of setting up Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Scotland. Many of you may be wondering what is happening with Scotland’s MPAs? Are they going to be paper parks? Or are they finally going […]
‘The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) has expressed disbelief and anger at the new management measures for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Scottish waters announced by the Scottish Government today (11 June). The SFF maintains that the measures announced go far beyond the proportionate and evidential approach that was promised for the management arrangements of the […]