Marine Protected Area

Fully protected no-take marine reserves consistently produce ecological outcomes: fish biomass inside reserves averages 446% higher than outside after full recovery; large predatory fish rebound most dramatically. The spillover effect (fish from reserves replenishing adjacent fished areas) and larval export benefit fishers outside reserve boundaries. The global MPA network covers approximately 8% of the ocean, far short of the 30% target set by the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework (COP15, 2022). Poorly enforced 'paper parks' — MPAs without monitoring or compliance — provide little conservation value; effective MPAs require governance capacity matching their size and location.