Wildlife

Welfare of Animals in Marine Protected Areas

Marine protected areas provide welfare benefits by reducing fishing pressure, bycatch mortality, and habitat disturbance for wildlife in protected waters.

Key Facts

Fully protected marine reserves show fish populations 5-14 times higher than adjacent fished areas
MPAs reduce bycatch mortality for turtles, dolphins, and seabirds within their boundaries
Healthy reef ecosystems in MPAs provide structural complexity that reduces fish stress from predation
Only about 3% of the ocean is fully protected in no-take marine reserves
Climate resilience of marine ecosystems is significantly higher inside MPAs

Welfare Considerations

Marine protected areas provide welfare benefits through reduced fishing mortality, healthier habitats, and lower disturbance. Expanding fully protected ocean areas is both a conservation and welfare priority — the two goals are aligned in marine protection.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for expanding the global ocean protection target to 30% by 2030
Donate to organizations advocating for strong enforcement of existing MPAs
Advocate for no-take reserve designation rather than weaker multi-use protection
Support sustainable fisheries that operate outside rather than inside protected areas