Efforts to conserve 30% of oceans through marine protected areas (MPAs) have gained momentum, but many MPAs fall short in both effectiveness and equity. This is often due to weak implementation and insufficient restrictions on impacting activities that harm ocean ecosystems. This study used case studies of 50 MPAs across 24 countries to identify governance factors contributing to effective MPAs and those missing in less effective MPAs.
Using the MPA governance effectiveness score, none of the MPAs studied scored higher than 4 out of 5 for effectiveness, and the mean effectiveness score was only 2.02. This indicates that many MPAs have only partially addressed the impacts of human activities.
Governance incentives are strategies designed to encourage actors to behave in ways aligned with the conservation goals of the MPA. The study identified 36 incentives across five categories:
- Economic incentives, such as funding, property rights, and financial benefits for stakeholders.
- Legal incentives, such as enforcement of laws, clear regulations, transparency and accountability.
- Communication incentives, such as raising awareness of conservation features, benefits, and regulations.
- Knowledge incentives such as using different sources of knowledge (local, traditional, and expert).
- Participation incentives, such as community involvement in decision-making.
The study found a strong correlation between the number of governance incentives used and an MPA’s effectiveness score. The most common incentives used or prioritized for use were:
- Capacity for enforcement (a legal incentive)
- Raising awareness (a communication incentive)
- Establishing collaborative platforms (a participation incentive)
- Promoting profitable/sustainable fisheries and tourism (an economic incentive)
- Promoting collective learning (a knowledge incentive)
Legal and participatory incentives were most frequently identified as “missing but needed,” which suggests that combining top-down (legal) and bottom-up (community participation) approaches is crucial. Legal incentives can include transparency, accountability and fairness; cross-jurisdictional coordination; protection from incoming users; and capacity for enforcement. Participatory incentives can involve building linkages between relevant authorities and user representatives, and building trust and the capacity for cooperation.
The research indicates that there is no single “magic wand” incentive or “one size fits all” combination of incentives that guarantees effectiveness and equity, as each MPA represents a complex and unique social-ecological system. Instead, to maximize effectiveness and promote equity, managers should include a diverse range of appropriate incentives drawn from all five categories, representing a combination of governance approaches. Recognizing the inter-dependencies between social and ecological systems, the research concludes “that the key to resilience is diversity, both of species in ecosystems and incentives in governance systems.”
Implications for managers
- Implement numerous and a diverse range of incentives to enhance governance effectiveness and equity.
- Use the incentives most frequently identified as used or needed (see Figure 6A) as a starting point to develop or strengthen your MPA’s governance framework.
- Evaluate your MPA’s unique context to tailor the selection of incentives. There are no universal incentives that apply equally to all MPAs.
Author: Jones, P.J.S, R. Stafford, I. Hesse and D.T. Khuu
Year: 2024
Frontiers in Marine Science 11:1412654. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1412654
For more information about the MPA governance assessment or incentives, please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/marine-protected-area-governance/ and watch this OCTO webinar recording: Insights and tools for combining governance approaches for more effective and equitable MPAs.
This article summary was developed in partnership with the Blue Nature Alliance, a global partnership to catalyze effective large-scale ocean conservation.
