Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a primary tool for the stewardship, conservation, and restoration
of marine ecosystems, yet 69% of global MPAs are only partially protected (i.e., are open to some form of fishing).
Although fully protected areas have well-documented outcomes, including increased fish diversity and biomass,
the effectiveness of partially protected areas is contested. Partially protected areas may provide benefits in some
contexts and may be warranted for social reasons, yet social outcomes often depend on MPAs achieving their
This introduction provides an overview and commentary on the papers in a special issue of PARKS, which is devoted
to the impact and implications of COVID-19 on the world’s protected and conserved areas. It describes how 11 peerreviewed
papers and 14 essays have brought together the knowledge and findings of numerous experts from all parts
of the world, supported by several wide-ranging surveys. The resulting global synthesis of experience answers some
key questions: why did the pandemic occur? what has it meant for protected and conserved areas, and the people
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a major impact on conservation policies and practice at multiple scales, including protected and conserved areas (PCAs). There is a need to understand the implications for PCAs of recent actions, enacted or promoted in the wake of COVID-19. To fill this knowledge gap, we reviewed economic stimulus packages and other government policies that were implemented or advanced between January and October 2020.
This session will bring together representatives from communities, governments and civil society to discuss their viewpoints, experiences and insights on defining conservation in the Pacific context, and what this means to a range of Indigenous Pacific People. Through a "talanoa" style panel discussion. The panel will share their thoughts and recommendations to strengthen local and indigenous-led conservation programming in the Pacific
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 53:22
Traditional way of life in the pacific islands in the expression of each and everybody's identity. The link between people and their natural habitat, living and unliving things is key to someone's social status, relationship to other member of its community and existence in the world. The session shall look at the importance of traditional knowledge and its relation to the environment as a way to protect existing biodiversity and thus ensuring that the cultural heritage of Pacific Island population i preserved.
The loss of nature is global ecological and economic catastrophe. As we have seen with the recent surge of hurricanes and typhoons, when nature's services we've long taken for granted begin to fall, it is poor communities that suffer most. Further, countless of people depend on the marine environment for their livelihoods. Thus addressing the decline of the health of our ocean should be a priority for all.
9Due to its paleogeographic and ecological background, the Medi-terranean Sea hosts a relatively high diversity and endemism of marine species and habitats. In relation to human occupation of the Mediterranean coasts over thousands of years, these unique species and habitats are increasingly under threat from human activities, and in particular at the present time from fishing practices, unsustainable tourism, coastal development, pollution and the exacerbating effects of climate change.
Protected areas are key to biodiversity conservation. While the value of protected areas is generally undisputed, challenges remain. Many areas designated as protected were created for
objectives other than biodiversity conservation, and those objectives can conflict with biodiversity
conservation. Protected area legal status is, in many cases, impermanent. Protected areas are
generally too small, isolated, and few to conserve biodiversity on their own, and thus there are calls