Science should not be left behind during the design of a marine protected area

To help protect marine biodiversity, Canada has committed to protect 10% of its waters before 2020 using marine protected areas (MPA) or equivalent management tools.

This new study analysed the role science played in designing the newly created Laurentian Channel MPA. While scientific advice was used to identify the original area in need of protection, formal scientific reviews were not required in subsequent planning stages.

Read this open access paper on the FACETS website.

Areas and species initially identified as important to protect by science were gradually excluded from the MPA to reduce the economic impact on the fishing and oil and gas industries. The final MPA design resulted in up to 43% decrease in protection of species of conservation priority.

Failure to include science all along the entire MPA design process risks jeopardising the ability of MPAs to protect marine species. This study calls for a better integration of science in the Canadian government MPA design practices.

Read the full paper — Science should not be left behind during
the design of a marine protected area: meeting conservation priorities while
integrating stakeholder interests by Manuel Muntoni, Rodolphe Devillers and Mariano Koen-Alonso.