Most marine protected areas aren't stopping fishing, according to a new study, raising questions about their effectiveness in ocean conservation.
MPAs fail to curb fishing effectively
A scientific study published in Science Advances reveals that most marine protected areas (MPAs) worldwide are not effectively preventing fishing activities. The research analyzed data from 861 MPAs and found that fishing has either stayed the same or increased in most of them, despite global efforts to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030.Global MPA coverage remains below target
As of the latest count, there are 17,227 MPAs covering 9.82% of the world's oceans, according to the website Protected Planet. This is far from the 30% target set by 196 countries in 2022, highlighting a significant gap between international commitments and current progress.Vessel tracking data reveals MPA trends
Researchers used vessel tracking data from Global Fishing Watch, comparing it with MPA maps from 2012 to 2024. This data helped track changes in fishing activity inside and outside MPAs over time, revealing how fishing pressure has evolved in these protected zones.Fishing pressure rises in most MPAs
Joachim Claudet, a researcher at CNRS and co-author of the study, found that fishing pressure has increased in the majority of MPAs since they were established. Specifically, 58% of MPAs have seen an increase in fishing effort, while 40% have experienced a decrease and 2% have seen no change.MPAs avoid areas with high fishing activity
Claudet noted that fully protected areas are often established in regions where industrial fishing was already minimal. He also criticized the use of ocean coverage rate as the sole measure of MPA effectiveness, arguing it fails to reflect their true impact on biodiversity conservation.
