Most marine protected areas fail to curb fishing: Study
Fishing is increasing in most marine reserves worldwide in spite of conservation pledges, a study published Wednesday found.
A recent study published in Science Advances reveals that most marine protected areas (MPAs) worldwide are failing to curb fishing, despite the increasing number of these protected zones. The research, conducted by Joachim Claudet and his team at France's CNRS, examined 861 protected zones and found that fishing activity has actually increased in 58% of them.
Only 40% of the MPAs saw a decrease in fishing pressure, while 2% remained unchanged. Claudet expressed surprise at these "striking results," noting that conservation pledges have led to a surge in MPAs, yet industrial fishing continues within many of them. The team compared vessel-tracking data from Global Fishing Watch with maps of protected areas from 2012 to 2024.
Fully protected zones, where fishing is banned, are often found in areas with little prior industrial fishing, suggesting that protected ocean coverage alone is not a reliable measure of conservation effectiveness. Claudet questioned whether the goal of protecting 30% of the world's oceans by 2030, agreed upon by 196 nations in 2022, is sufficient to assess progress.
Written by urgent.news from Phys.org's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
