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RESPONDING TO THE VALUE OF NATURE
Box 10.14: The protective and productive potential of Marine Protected Areas
Despite the increasing threats to marine environments, progress in establishing marine protected areas (MPAs)
has been slow: MPAs only cover a fraction (0.5%) of the high seas (Coad et al. 2009).
It has been estimated that conserving 20-30% of global oceans through a network of Marine Protected
Areas could create a million jobs, sustain a marine fish catch worth US$70-80 billion/year (Balmford
et al 2004). A review of 112 studies and 80 MPAs found that fish populations, size and biomass all
dramatically increased inside reserves, allowing spillover to nearby fishing grounds (Halpern 2003).
The figure presents the catch outside the borders of a no take zone for a protected area (not all MPAs have
no take zones).
Naturally, the success of MPAs, both in
conserving biodiversity and providing benefits
to fishing, depends on their careful design
and effective management. However
well managed, the awaited recovery of fish
populations may also often take time which
means that the benefits of MPAs for fishing
may only become apparent after a number
of years. For example, eight years after the
creation of the Mombasa Marine National
Park, Kenya, fish catches in the vicinity of
this MPA reached three times the level of
catches further away (McClanahan and
Mangi 2000).
These benefits are often coupled with short-term local costs. St Lucia’s Sufriere MPA has significantly
increased fish stocks since its creation, providing a sustainable local benefit. However, this success required
35% of fishing grounds to be placed off limits which inflicted short-term costs on local fishermen in the form
of reduced catch (Icran et al. 2005).
implications. The continuing efforts to restore the Aral
Sea are a well-known and inspiring example of what
can be achieved with great government commitment
and institutional support (see Chapter 9).
10.3.5 INVESTMENT IN ECOLOGICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORTS
JOBS
Well-designed investments often lead to benefits
for employment and social policy objectives: by supporting
economic activity, ecosystems support jobs.
73% of the US haddock catch are taken
within 5 km of a fishery closed area,
off the New England Coast.
Source: Fogarty and Botsford 2007
Indeed, natural capital is often a relatively labour-intensive
form of investment. This can be seen in the current
statistics on jobs linked to the environment, which go
way beyond ‘eco-industries’ and pollution management
to include a variety of jobs depending directly on
good quality environment as an input (see Boxes 10.15
and 10.16).
TEEB FOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL POLICY MAKERS - CHAPTER 10: PAGE 19