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Abstract
Marine reserves are an effective tool for protecting biodiversity locally, with potential economic benefits including enhancement of local fisheries, increased tourism, and maintenance of ecosystem services. However, fishing communities often fear short-term income losses associated with closures, and thus may oppose marine reserves. Here we review empirical data and develop bioeconomic models to show that the value of marine reserves (enhanced adjacent fishing + tourism) may often exceed the pre-reserve value, and that economic benefits can offset the costs in as little as five years. These results suggest the need for a new business model for creating and managing reserves, which could pay for themselves and turn a profit for stakeholder groups. Our model could be expanded to include ecosystem services and other benefits, and it provides a general framework to estimate costs and benefits of reserves and to develop such business models.
Highlights
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are intertidal and/or subtidal areas that have been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment, including water, flora, fauna, and historical and cultural features [1]
Because it is difficult to compare the benefits of areas with different levels of protection, here we focus on no-take marine reserves only (‘‘marine reserves’’ hereafter)
Results from the simulation show that there is a short term loss in fishery profit accompanied by a steady increase in the tourism value (Fig. 2a)
Summary
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are intertidal and/or subtidal areas that have been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment, including water, flora, fauna, and historical and cultural features [1]. There are many types of MPAs, from areas where most fishing is allowed to no-take marine reserves where fishing is prohibited. Because it is difficult to compare the benefits of areas with different levels of protection, here we focus on no-take marine reserves only (‘‘marine reserves’’ hereafter). The literature is quite clear about the conditions under which marine reserves produce economic and/or ecological benefits (e.g., [4,5]). In focusing almost exclusively on fisheries, this literature has ignored other, perhaps more important, aspects of the value of marine reserves. Assembling economic arguments for, or against, marine reserves will be crucial for determining if, and how, to achieve the targets of the Convention of Biological Diversity that call for protection of 10% of the ocean (http://www.cbd.int/sp)
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