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  • 05 Mar 2014

A new report in the journal Coastal Management (external link) identifies five themes that characterize successful marine protected area (MPA) networks in the Coral Triangle.

Based on six case studies, one from each Coral Triangle country, the report notes that these themes “provide important insights to guide future efforts to expand the CTMPAS (Coral Triangle Marine Protected Area System),” and also have value for MPA practitioners in other regions.

The establishment of the CTMPAS is a key target under the CTI-CFF Regional Plan of Action for 2010–2020. The CTI-CFF MPA Working Group has set an intermediate target of launching the CTMPAS by the 5th CTI-CFF Ministerial Meeting in May. The goal is for the CTMPAS to become “a region-wide, comprehensive, ecologically representative, and well-managed system of MPAs and MPA networks.”

The report examines six MPA networks that exemplify different approaches in the Coral Triangle, framing each case study within its social, political, and ecological context:

  • Bottom-up networks: Verde Island Passage (Philippines) and Lauru Ridges-to-Reefs Protected Area Network (Solomon Islands) – evolved through careful coordination of small MPAs into strategically planned, scientifically informed networks.
  • Large MPAs refined through zoning: Nusa Penida (Indonesia), Tun Mustapha Park (Malaysia), and Nino Konis Santana Park (Timor-Leste) – declared as large MPAs and later refined to achieve objectives via multiple-use zoning.
  • Designed as ecologically connected networks: Kimbe Bay (Papua New Guinea) – created from the outset with ecological connectivity in mind.

While acknowledging that these networks are still evolving and that it is premature to evaluate them based on specific ecological or social outcomes, the authors note that they “demonstrate the promise of a region-wide CTMPAS, the sum of which will sustain marine and coastal ecosystems, and the populations that depend on them, by improving the scientific basis and quality of management.”

The report identifies five success themes:

  1. Multi-stakeholder and cross-level management institutions: Small management jurisdictions alone are unlikely to effectively manage ecological processes, which typically operate across broader scales. Effective management requires engagement at multiple scales and levels through cross-level governance and social learning.
  2. Integration of scientific information with local knowledge and traditions: Networks designed using both science and local knowledge are more likely to achieve better management outcomes due to improved design and increased stakeholder compliance. Local considerations may take precedence in certain contexts.
  3. Building capacity for local responsibility and leadership: NGOs play a key role in network design and implementation, but local managers rely on technical support. Capacity building should cultivate local leadership, involve stakeholders, and include exit strategies to ensure sustainability after external support ends.
  4. Multiple-use zoning to balance objectives: MPA networks must meet multiple, sometimes competing, objectives and accommodate diverse stakeholder priorities. Zoning within large MPAs offers flexibility compared to networks of only no-take zones.
  5. Learning networks: Replicating small-scale successes across the Coral Triangle requires sharing lessons learned and best practices in accessible formats. Learning networks, evident in the case studies, are crucial for regional growth of the CTMPAS.

To view the full report, click here (external link).

Related articles in the same issue of Coastal Management (external link, free access until April 30, 2014):