Study shows how protected areas can be part of the solution to fisheries crisis – WWF-Canada

The report outlines a flexible approach to mapping that can help decision makers in Canada and the United States identify a network of priority areas for conservation. It could also play an important role in helping Canada meet its international commitment to protect ten percent of its oceans through MPA networks by 2012. Currently less than one percent of Canada’s waters are protected.

“There are certain places in our ocean that deserve protection, and the payoff will be bigger fish, healthier seas and stronger coastal economies,” said Jennifer Smith, Manager, Conservation Planning, WWF-Canada. “We hope this study sparks a wider public discussion about where those places are and what steps we need to take to make sure our oceans are healthy and productive in the future.”

WWF-Canada and CLF brought together experts to map areas that contained “high conservation values” such as whale abundance, areas important to juvenile fish, areas of high food supply, and diverse habitat types in the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and the Scotian Shelf. The study then tested an innovative new approach that generated different options in designing a network of protected areas that would conserve biodiversity while minimising impacts on the commercial fishing industry and other users who rely on the oceans resources.

While mapping areas of high conservation value for zoning purposes might be new for Canada’s oceans, it is well accepted on land, where more than 8% of Canada’s land base is protected. The report positions MPAs as an important but underused tool, among others we can use, as we take a more careful approach to planning where, when and how our oceans are used. Protected areas are but one aspect of an overall zoning plan. For successful fisheries management, these measures must also be accompanied by better practices on the water, such as fishing gear that minimises bycatch.

“Scientists recently raised the alarm in a paper that forecasted an end to global commercial fisheries by 2048,” said Dr. Robert Rangeley, Vice President, Atlantic Region, WWF-Canada. “That study also recognised the importance of biodiversity in maintaining healthy and productive ecosystems, and identified MPAs as a key tool in reversing the path we’re on now.”

While MPA networks are gaining a foothold around the world, Rangeley acknowledged that bringing others on board will take work. “Industry has legitimate concerns about how conservation measures will affect them, and we designed this study to show how these concerns can be brought into the equation. We need to work together to create a plan that balances conservation with sustainable use.”

“Everyone recognizes that our oceans are in trouble. We hope this new approach can be a powerful tool to help bring them back to health and ensure that we can keep fishing for a long time to come,” concluded Rangeley.