Success from the World's Largest Marine Reserve
MPA Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Is A Success!
We have good news from the largest marine reserve in the world!
In 2016, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument marine reserve surrounding Hawaii was quadrupled in a fight to conserve marine life. Since then, the large efforts from the government have paid off. This comes from the increased number of yellowfin and bigeye tuna caught just outside the marine protected area (MPA).
At first, fishermen protested against the idea of expanding the area because of fishing restrictions, however, it was needed to create space for dwindling tuna populations to recover, which it has.
As tuna populations inside the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument MPA boundaries steadily increased, they predicted, the fish would spill over into the surrounding areas, increasing the amount to catch.
While it is difficult to predict tuna populations because they cannot be counted directly. What we do know, according to the latest article published in Science, is that the number of fish caught just outside the MPA is higher now than it used to be; no significant increase in tuna populations or spillover benefits occurred before 2016.
Alan Friedlander, a chief scientist for the National Geographic Society’s Pristine Seas project, says:
“This is one of the few studies to show actual spillover benefits, which are often difficult to prove. That is great news, as it suggests a robust approach we can use to evaluate and improve protected areas elsewhere.”
However, a few experts are sceptical about how much of an impact the expansion of the MPA is, and that recovery of tuna populations would take more time. Anyhow, what we do know is that the MPA appears to have a positive impact on the tuna populations, and increased catches are happening where fishing is allowed.
This could be from two possibilities: The tuna populations are increasing as the MPA creates nurseries allowing some fish to spill over, or the fish are aggregating inside the MPA because they cannot be caught.
So, is a sustainable spillover possible?
Yes, however, the study team needs to know exactly where the catches are coming from. Many other reserves have goals of creating spillover effects, but they haven’t fully demonstrated them.
What this study does confirm, is that there is some promise that expanding marine reserves and placing no-fishing zones could create sustainable spillovers and fishing in the future.
