Publisher :
Place of publication :
Publication year : 0
Thematic : Marine Protected Areas
Language : English
Note
1. While conservationists, resource managers, scientists and coastal planners have recognized the
broad applicability of marine protected areas (MPAs), they are often implemented without a firm
understanding of the conservation science } both ecological and socio-economic } underlying
marine protection. The rush to implement MPAs has set the stage for paradoxical differences of
opinions in the marine conservation community.
2. The enthusiastic prescription of simplistic solutions to marine conservation problems risks
polarization of interests and ultimately threatens bona fide progress in marine conservation. The
blanket assignment and advocacy of empirically unsubstantiated rules of thumb in marine protection
creates potentially dangerous targets for conservation science.
3. Clarity of definition, systematic testing of assumptions, and adaptive application of diverse
MPA management approaches are needed so that the appropriate mix of various management tools
can be utilized, depending upon specific goals and conditions. Scientists have a professional and ethical duty to map out those paths that are most likely to lead to improved resource management
and understanding of the natural world, including the human element, whether or not they are
convenient, politically correct or publicly magnetic.
4. The use of MPAs as a vehicle for promoting long-term conservation and sustainable use of
marine biodiversity is in need of focus, and both philosophical and applied tune ups. A new
paradigm arising out of integrated, multi-disciplinary science, management and education/outreach
efforts must be adopted to help promote flexible, diverse and effective MPA management strategies.
Given scientific uncertainties, MPAs should be designed so one can learn from their application and
adjust their management strategies as needed, in the true spirit of adaptive management.
5. It is critical for the conservation community to examine why honest differences of opinion
regarding MPAs have emerged, and recognize that inflexible attitudes and positions are potentially
dangerous. We therefore discuss several questions } heretofore taken as implicit assumptions: (a)
what are MPAs, (b) what purpose do MPAs serve, (c) are no-take MPAs the only legitimate MPAs,
(d) should a single closed area target be set for all MPAs, and (e) how should policymakers and
conservation communities deal with scientific uncertainty?
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Keywords : Eothenomys melanogaster
Encoded by : Pauline Carmel Joy Eje
