New Scientific Studies Make the Case for the Marine Life Protection Act

[peguinpower]

In studies of marine protected areas, social and environmental scientists found that...

"Social scientists have said that it's local people banding together with their community leaders who ultimately determine the success or failure of tropical marine conservation areas in many parts of the world.

"When people sacrifice to conserve, they want to benefit from that sacrifice", said Patrick Christie, University of Washington associate professor of marine affairs and a Pew fellow in marine conservation. "People expect direct economic and social benefits from conservation," he added."

Conflicts develop, however, when outsiders move in to implement closures."

Gestapo like closures will not work. Exclusion, outdoor activity segregation, and prejudice towards differing objectives is DISCRIMINATION!

California is bankrupt! In New Zealand....

"One of the most common causes for failure of marine protected areas is a lack of resources to implement protection."

THERE IS NO CONSENSUS ABOUT MARINE RESERVE EFFECTIVENESS!

"William Precht, a coral reef geologist and restoration specialist for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, added, "Data from throughout the Caribbean and western Atlantic indicate that no form of local stewardship or management could have protected coral populations from their major sources of mortality (environmental factors) or changed the overall trajectory of coral loss observed during the past few decades."

"A ..... study (Jones et al. 2004) published in PNAS documented the failure of marine reserves in Papua New Guinea to mitigate the effects of the 1998 El Nino and other more local disturbances. The eight year study found that coral cover declined from 65% to 10% both inside reserves and on neighboring fished sites."

Environmental factors, specifically pollutants (ergo urban run off) hurt the fishery more than nature loving self regulating sportfishermen.

/bing