Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
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What is a marine protected area (MPA)?
What is a marine protected area (MPA)?
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are defined by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as parts of intertidal or subtidal environments, together with their overlying waters, flora and fauna and other features, that have been reserved and protected by law or other effective means (IUCN-WCPA, 2008).
Are there different types of MPAs?
Are there different types of MPAs?
Usually when refering to MPAs people tend to confuse them with No-take areas, one of the kind of the MPAs. Nevertheless several uses are allowed in MPAs, from commercial activities such as fisheries or bottom exploitation, to recreational activities as swimming or diving.
The last version of the Regulation Based Classification System (RBCS) embraces 7 types of zone classes and 5 types of MPA classes depending on the uses allowed in each of those areas. As follow:
What determines the Zone Class?
What determines the Zone Class?
The way we determine to which class does a Zone of and MPA belongs to is through the Decision Tree. Currently the Decision Tree for the last version of the RBCS is being updated and will be available soon. Nevertheless, the Decision Tree (DT) of the new version is very similar to the original one.
The DT consists of 4 levels :
- Number of fishing gears (commercial and recreational)
- Impact of the fishing gear (each of the gears was scored based on the impact)
- Impact of other activities (aquaculture and bottom exploitation)
- Anchoring - Boating.
What determines the MPA Class?
What determines the MPA Class?
Once we determine the Class of each Zone conforming an MPA , we need to determine the MPA index based on each Zone Class within the MPA. That MPA index will be related to the final MPA Class.
As happened with the DT, the MPA index calculation is not updated to the latest version as the MPA index in the new RBCS will run from 1 to 7.
What are the benefits of MPAs?
What are the benefits of MPAs?
Some of the benefits from properly designed and managed MPAs. (Source: The benefits of MARINE PROTECTED AREAS. © Commonwealth of Australia 2003 )
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