Marine Animals

Marine Protected Area Effectiveness

Marine protected areas can dramatically improve fish welfare and ecosystem health when properly enforced and designed.

Key Facts

Fully protected MPAs increase fish biomass by 670% on average
Only 2.7% of the ocean is fully protected from fishing
Fish populations inside MPAs show healthier age structures and larger individuals
Recovery of predator populations inside MPAs creates ecosystem balance
Spillover of fish from MPAs benefits adjacent fishing grounds

Welfare Considerations

Marine protected areas provide refuge from the intensive suffering caused by fishing operations including net injuries, air exposure, and injury-related mortality. Fish inside protected areas live longer, reach natural sizes, and maintain natural social structures. Expanding and enforcing MPAs benefits individual fish welfare and entire ecosystem health.

What You Can Do

Support expansion of fully protected marine reserves
Advocate for MPAs in important fish breeding and juvenile habitat areas
Support organizations working on ocean protection policy
Choose seafood from fisheries with robust MPA networks
Donate to marine conservation organizations working on ocean protection