I have recently returned from the 'European Symposium on Marine Protected Areas as a Tool for Fisheries Management and Ecosystem Conservation' in Murcia, Spain. This conference was hugely informative and an excellent platform to meet decision makers in Europe, speak about issues affecting the marine environment and fisheries management and have a look at why we manage marine areas and what for. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are increasingly being used as a tool for both marine nature conservation and the sustainable management of the living resources in our seas. Do we focus on a model that guarantees survival of the ecosystem, habitat, or species - i.e. managing for the environment? Or do we manage for...
MPA Symposium
...fisheries, with a focus on higher yield, lower unit effort and sustaining that resource where possible. These questions are important as we can manage a resource for our use or we can manage it for existence.
Biodiversity and habitat protection are clearly important, but so are the lives of local people that depend upon these resources. Maybe we try to combine the two? These are all of course very interesting and important questions in Europe, but in the developing world MPAs are being set up at a very fast rate, not necessarily with these questions in mind. The theory of protecting an area is often a genuine and worthwhile motive but without the resources to enforce the regulations and empower local people to gain their support, managing a non-extractive use such as dive tourism effectively is a major challenge and constraint upon success. Emerging science and interdisciplinary approaches were the focus; the need to mix academic research, investment in people, socio-economic surveys and understanding the root of poverty that frequently undermines the success of protected areas in the marine environment.
so, in 2007 i managed to combine my love of the underwater worls and diving with meeting european descision makers, NGOS and officials to make sure that im doing my bit for conserving the blue planet so future generations of divers can enjoy the reefs, see the fish and witness the immense grace of sharks and rays.
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