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It's no longer a question of whether to set aside fully protected areas
in the oceans but where to establish them. We urge the immediate
application of fully protected marine reserves as a central oceans
management tool.
There is a compelling body of scientific evidence that demonstrates how the establishment of marine reserves can both protect habitats and species and also be of benefit to fisheries beyond the reserve boundaries.
The potential benefits of marine reserves are summarised below.
1. Increase habitat quality, species diversity and community stability.
2. Provide undisturbed control sites for monitoring and assessing human impacts in other areas.
3. Create or enhance non-extractive, non-destructive uses, including tourism.
4. Reduce user conflicts.
5. Provide opportunities to improve public awareness, education and understanding of the oceans.
6. Create areas with intrinsic value.
7. Increase abundance, average size of target organisms, reproductive output and genetic diversity.
8. Enhance fishery yield in adjacent grounds.
9. Provide simple and effective management regime which is readily understood and enforced.
10. Guard against uncertainty and reduce probability of over-fishing and fishery collapse.
11. Protect rare and valuable species.
12. Provide opportunities for increased understanding of exploited marine systems.
13. Provide basis for ecosystem management
There is a compelling body of scientific evidence that demonstrates how the establishment of marine reserves can both protect habitats and species and also be of benefit to fisheries beyond the reserve boundaries.
The potential benefits of marine reserves are summarised below.
1. Increase habitat quality, species diversity and community stability.
2. Provide undisturbed control sites for monitoring and assessing human impacts in other areas.
3. Create or enhance non-extractive, non-destructive uses, including tourism.
4. Reduce user conflicts.
5. Provide opportunities to improve public awareness, education and understanding of the oceans.
6. Create areas with intrinsic value.
7. Increase abundance, average size of target organisms, reproductive output and genetic diversity.
8. Enhance fishery yield in adjacent grounds.
9. Provide simple and effective management regime which is readily understood and enforced.
10. Guard against uncertainty and reduce probability of over-fishing and fishery collapse.
11. Protect rare and valuable species.
12. Provide opportunities for increased understanding of exploited marine systems.
13. Provide basis for ecosystem management
