Naslov
MARINE PROTECTED AREAS AND THE PROBLEM OF PAPER PARKS

Autori
Dorigatti, Josip ; Perić, Tina ; Jelić Mrčelić, Gorana

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u zbornicima skupova, cjeloviti rad (in extenso), znanstveni

Izvornik
The Ninth Symposium Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal Areas: problems and measurement techniques / - , 2022, 211-221

Skup
The Ninth Symposium Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal Areas: problems and measurement techniques

Mjesto i datum
Livorno, Italija, 14.06.2022. - 16.06.2022

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
Marine Protected Areas, paper parks, management, surveillance and monitoring

Sažetak
The ocean makes the Earth habitable for humankind and careful management of the ocean is of utmost importance for sustainable future. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a key instrument of ocean protection. According to UN World Database on Protected Areas more than 15000 MPAs protect 7.68% of the ocean while IUCN recommended that at least 30% of the ocean should be protected effectively by 2030. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines protected area as: A clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated, and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. In the report Conversion of paper parks to effective management: developing a target, paper park is defined as: A legally established protected area where experts believe current protection activities are insufficient to halt degradation. Many MPAs exist on maps but offer little real protection. Understanding and explaining the ineffectiveness of MPAs is a difficult task due to the complexity of MPAs social-ecological systems that require a multidisciplinary study approach. The aim of this paper is to briefly overview paper parks problem regarding MPAs, to emphasize the causes of the phenomenon as well as to adress the possible soultions of the problem, as highlighted in reports and scientific literature. In the process of MPAs establishment, human dimension plays important role, since social, economic, and institutional factors significantly affect MPAs effectiveness. According to Pieraccini et al. (2017), key obstacles limiting conservation effectiveness of MPA include inappropriate planning, poor governance, low enforcement level, few socio-economic incentives for compliance, conflicts among stakeholder groups and little community involvement in the management. There are many examples of paper parks in the literature, and the lack of effective surveillance of MPAs is considered as the greatest obstacle inhibiting success of MPAs. MPAs will be effective if surveillance and enforcement mechanisms are strong. According to Ferse et al (2010), the poor performance of MPAs can be result of failure to include effectively local communities in the design and implementation of relevant measures and aspects of community-based management should be incorporated into a hybridform of management upon existing local management practices. The IUCN has recognized good governance, sound design and planning, as well as effective management as basic criteria for the global standard of best practice for area-based conservation and has set the first global standard of best practice for area-based conservation - The IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas. In a document The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) 2017 Report Preventing paper parks: How to make the EU nature laws work, it is highlighted that European Union protected areas were at risk due to lack of proper implementation of EU laws by member states and the Commission legal actions. WWF 2019 Report Protecting our ocean. Europe’s challenges to meet the 2020 deadlines assesses that 12.4% of the EU marine area is designated for protection but only 1.8% of is covered by MPAs with management plans and far less than 1.8% is under effective management and monitoring. The WWF Reports demonstrates the importance of management plans as well as the importance of involving all stakeholders in management plan developing process. 2020 report Unmanaged = Unprotected: Europe’s marine paper parks reveals the current network of European MPAs is not well-managed and not restrictive enough to limit increasing pressures mostly due to a race to MPA designation to meet European and international targets, which has sacrificed quality for quantity. The analyses shows that about 80% of plans were incomplete and had often been seriously delayed. Most of the assessed plans were weak due to a lack of deadlines for implementing measures, a failure to manage specific features for which sites were designated ; a failure to address major threats and the absence of provisions for surveillance and monitoring. Although, management plan is critical element of MPA, the existence of management plan does not guarantee effective management. Detailed assessments including stakeholder user surveys are required in order to estimate if MPA is effectively managed. Without effective management, designated MPAs remain mere paper parks that provide little to no real protection of species or habitats and creates a false impression of achievement.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biotehnologija, Interdisciplinarne biotehničke znanosti

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