Progress report for
MPA Action Group: Global Partnership to improve management effectiveness and sustainability of a global portfolio of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Locally Managed Marine Areas (L/MMAs) .
Achievement at a glance
The MPA Action Group (MPA AG) is coalition made up of international NGOs and Foundations to strengthen civil societys contribution for enhanced Marine Protected Area (MPA) implementation. The Group facilitates collaborative approaches in global ocean advocacy, including engagement with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the UN Agenda, through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).<br>
<br>In contributing to achieving both SDG Goal 14 as well as the CBD Aichi Targets, particularly Target 11, the MPA AG has worked together on assisting countries in achieving their MPA commitments. Contributions as laid out this Voluntary Commitment (VC) are made on two levels. Partners work collaboratively on to secure commitments regarding MPAs creation and effective implementation are reflected in global policy agendas as well as communicating and raising awareness about the values and benefits of (connected networks of) MPAs. Furthermore, individual partners of the MPA AG make their own programmatic and funding commitments contributing to accelerating effective management of MPAs. To the extent possible, the group coordinates their individual contributions in relation to MPA work.
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<br>In the year 2017, the MPA AG members that signed onto this VC have:
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<br>- Shared and exchanged knowledge and experiences on MPAs, their benefits and the importance of their effective implementation. This has been done through (side) events, meetings and the MPA knowledge hub. This included several joint presentations during IMPAC4, Chile as well as the launch of Ocean Witness during the Ocean Conference 17 by the MPA Action Agenda with support of Conservation International, Rare and Blue Ventures. This story telling platform amplifies the voices from those witnessing change and contributing to solutions, including MPAs; and
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<br>- In different compilations, members of the MPA AG prepared and shared three joint statements for SDG 14 Prep Com.
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Challenges faced in implementation
CBD Aichi Target 11 and SDG 14.5 call for 10% of our oceans to be effectively conserved and protected by 2020. The Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC/IUCN) reports 7.78% of the global ocean is protected (October, 2019) based on self-reports from countries whereas the Atlas of Marine Protection argues that only 4.8% is protected today. Their numbers dont include non-MPAs or unimplemented MPAs. This discrepancy in percentages and approach in reporting show the challenge faced when it comes to the effectiveness of MPAs and the other qualitative elements that Aichi target 11 calls for including effectivity and equitability, ecologically representativity and connectedness. These unfortunately are far from being secured. Most protected areas are inadequately managed or resourced, and do not reduce or prevent any or all of the threats to their biodiversity, but the target gives such areas equal value to those that are well-managed. The disproportionate focus on percentages is also resulting in the risk of MPAs being located in areas that are not those most important for biodiversity conservation<br>
<br>Furthermore, it is widely recognized that 10% is not an end goal, but a milestone to achieve healthy marine ecosystems benefiting people and nature. Members of the MPA AG advocate for effective protection of 30% of our oceans.
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<br>Specifically looking at the objective of the first deliverable, the below challenges are identified:
<br>- Lack of (dedicated) financial resources for the establishment, implementation and effective management of MPAs. This lack of (sustainable) financing of MPAs is currently already a challenge and will continue to increase when global targets increase;
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<br>- The need for technical and organizational capacity; and
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<br>- Challenges faced in the programs on the ground MPA implementation are various and range from involving many different stakeholders, sometimes conflicting interests from stakeholders and the fact that MPA processes take a long time.
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Beneficiaries
The (joint) actions of the MPA AG focus on making the case for MPAs and contributing to the increase of the MPA coverage and their effective implementation on a local, national, regional and international level. The contributions of members of the MPA AG thus have beneficiaries on multiple levels. Beneficiaries include (but are not limited to) local, inshore artisanal fishermen, many local communities dependent on marine ecosystems, women in communities , MPA practitioners in any way of form using the MPA knowledge hub and policy makers being provided with technical expertise from the MPA AG members.
Actions
- Blue Marine Foundation created the Reserve Seafood -platform for local fishermen, a marine conservation scheme that allows traceable and low-impact fishing methods benefiting local fishermen;<br>
<br>- the WWF-Netherlands hosted MPA Action Agenda program facilitating an MPA knowledge hub, an MPA storytelling platform and providing financial and technical support for MPA work;
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<br>- BirdLife International is technically supporting the OSPAR Convention member States on the creation of new an MPA in the high seas. The North Atlantic Current and Evlanov Seamount High Seas MPA proposal developed by BirdLife is currently under consideration;
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<br>- Oceano Azul Foundation and Waitt Institute and Foundation signed an MOU with the Regional Government of the Azores supporting a conservation and sustainable development program to dedicate 15% of its ~1 million km2 EEZ to new fully protected MPAs, and to support the implementation of the existing MPAs (~5% of EEZ);
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<br>- Marine Conservation Institute awarded the first round of Blue Parks awards in 2017. Since then 16 MPAs have been awarded for meeting science-bases standards for effectiveness;
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<br>- Global Ocean Trust engaged in the fourth session of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) on the elements of a draft text of an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) to ensure effective protection in the High Seas;
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<br>- The Nature Conservancy launched a plan to dramatically scale up Blue Bonds, deploying this strategy in 20 island and coastal countries in the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands and the West Indian Ocean over the next 5 years; and
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<br>- Wildlife Conservation Society launched the $15 million MPA Fund in October 2016 with founding support from the Waitt Foundation and blue moon fun. To date, the MPA Fund has allocated $10.3 million to support programs in 23 countries to secure 430,000 km2 of previously unprotected ocean habitat.
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