1. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

What is a Marine Protected Area?

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are areas of the reef that are permanently protected and only used in a sustainable or wise manner. Protecting the best and most biodiverse area means we are protecting the whole environment and allows ‘spill over’ (animals and plants moving from one place to another) into areas that are less rich. Many of the larger fish take over ten years to reach an age where they can make babies therefore an area needs to be protected for a long time to increase fish numbers. An MPA has to be respected by all users of an area. Rules must be in place to protect the animals in the MPA. A good outcome will only occur if people do not break the rules and take fish and other animals from the MPA.

What is ‘Spill Over’?

Let us do a simple exercise so we can understand what a spill over is. Put a glass of water into a basin. Keep on filling the glass with water until it overflows into the basin. The glass represents a marine protected area (MPA) and the basin represents the ocean. The glass (MPA) is too small to support the excess water (different species) so it overflows (spills over) into the basin (ocean).

When the number of different kinds of fish, shells, coral and other animals reach a level that an area can no longer support, these marine animals will have to move elsewhere in search for food or a new place to live. This movement into other areas is called ‘spill over.’

What is the difference between MPA and Tabu?

Tabu: Many communities in Fiji have chosen to protect areas of the sea or their traditional fishing grounds by imposing a “Tabu” (tarm-boo). Traditionally, this happens when a chief dies. Not only is this respectful to the chief, but it also makes sure that there will be plenty of fish to feed people after the mourning period. At this point, the Tabu area is fished heavily for the feast and very few fish will be left. Very few Tabu areas remain in place for longer than three years although there are exceptions where traditional owners and commercial operators recognise the real value of having ongoing Tabus in place. This occurs in some areas of the Mamanuca Islands where recognition of worth of the Tabu and agreement is reached between hotel island resort operators and their traditional owners. However a Tabu can be lifted by the Chief of that area at his will, unlike an MPA, as once it is in place it is legally binding on all stakeholder communities, enforceable and recognised by governments world wide.

Advantages of Marine Protected Areas

illustrations showing growth in numbers of fish after time in an MPA
  • AFTER 1 YEAR, the fish inside the MPA will grow bigger and other fish may come from outside that area to be safe. The corals will also grow better because people are not walking on them (since it is protected and has certain rules that need to be followed). Small fish will be allowed to grow big enough to have babies and there will be more of them in the MPA area.
  • AFTER 2 YEARS, the fish will continue to grow bigger in the MPA area and there will be even more of them (the longer the time spent in the MPA, the bigger they will become and the more in number they will be). They may spill over and move outside the MPA area where they will be caught for food.
  • AFTER 3 YEARS, as the fish and other animals grow old enough to have babies, their eggs will be carried by the current (direction of the water movement) to different areas where they will grow and multiply.

How do you set up a successful MPA?

In order to be sustainable (making sure that the needs of the future generations are met), MPAs need to consider three things:

  1. Cultural and Social Conservation (protecting our culture)
  2. Economic (financial) and Social Conservation
  3. Biological Conservation (Maintaining species diversity—keeping as many plants and animals as possible)

In order to manage these three things, MPAs need to be planned carefully. Five things need to be looked at before setting up an MPA:

  1. List and assess resources on the Reef
  2. Find out what is causing the reef to be unhealthy
  3. Decide what the value of a reef is, how it should be used
  4. Decide the best way to manage the MPA
  5. Monitor the MPA to check that it is working

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