Marine protected areas (MPAs) are important tools for supporting the conservation and recovery of marine ecosystems. MPAs also provide critical co-benefits to nearby communities by improving fisheries management, enhancing tourism, and supporting resilient coastal communities. However, lack of compliance with rules and regulations and illegal activities in MPAs can limit their effectiveness and benefits. Monitoring, control, surveillance, and enforcement (also known as MCS&E) systems are critical tools to support MPA effectiveness and outcomes. To help managers and planners better understand MCS&E strategies for MPAs, the Reef Resilience Network is partnering with the Blue Nature Alliance to develop a new MPA Enforcement Toolkit, to be released in 2025.
During this webinar, Sunny Tellwright, Ocean Technology and Innovation Program Manager at Conservation International and MCS advisor for the Blue Nature Alliance, provided an overview of MCS&E and the Alliance. Gregg Casad, Senior Compliance Advisor to WildAid, shared insights on practical MCS&E strategies and Natalie Miaoulis, TNC Northern Caribbean Program Fisheries Specialist, discussed an application of these strategies in the Bahamas.
Additional Resources
- Marine Action Partnership video
- EarthRanger
- SMART
- Skylight
- Global Fishing Watch
- WildAid reports and resources:
This webinar is brought to you by the Reef Resilience Network and the Blue Nature Alliance, in partnership with the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) as part of their #ForCoral webinar series. If you do not have access to YouTube, email us at resilience@tnc.org for a copy of the recording.
