Marine Protected Areas are a key tool for protecting ocean biodiversity, but their effectiveness for wildlife welfare depends critically on enforcement and design.
MPAs protect animals from the acute welfare harm of capture, bycatch and habitat destruction. Where well-enforced, they allow fish and invertebrate populations to recover to natural densities with lower predation stress from fishing pressure. However, poorly enforced MPAs provide a false sense of security while allowing continued exploitation. Expanding strongly protected, well-enforced MPAs is one of the most impactful actions for ocean animal welfare.