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Showing posts from February, 2023

Understanding and Using the MPA Guide

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I took a social media class one time where the instructor said people are more likely to share your tweets if it includes a quote and a picture. I’ve worked since 2008 to designate some of the largest marine protected areas (MPAs) in the United States and around the world.  Since my first day on the job, the global growth of marine protected areas has been exponential, expanding from less than one percent of the ocean when I started and slowly inching towards ten percent today.  But not all marine protected areas are created the same. In my career I’ve advocated for some of the largest, most highly protected marine sanctuaries on the planet, including the Mariana Trench and the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monuments in the US Pacific Territories.  But some protected areas are poorly designed and allow all sorts of damaging activities, from industrial fishing to deep sea mining, while others are poorly implemented, the oft-maligned "paper parks" that have stro...

We Can Still Get 30x30 Right

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Angelo and Margaret at IMPAC5 As IMPAC5 rolls through its final hours, the big take home for me from this week is that the rollout of 30x30 has been deeply flawed and that our movement needs to do considerably better if we are to heal the damage our species has wrought on the ocean. The fishing industry and the science and management infrastructure that enables it are attempting to render #30x30 meaningless by changing the definition of "what counts" and what we consider "effective conservation." The whole discussion around fisheries OECMs and the contributions of industrial fishing to conservation is akin to arguing how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.  Let me be clear: Industrial fishing does not contribute to conservation. On the other side, many speakers, especially Indigenous leaders, brought attention to the conservation movement's shortcomings in respecting environmental justice and human rights. The scientists behind the MPA Guide prom...