Marine protected areas benefit ocean biodiversity and can improve welfare for marine animals by reducing fishing pressure, habitat destruction, and noise pollution within protected zones.
Marine protected areas benefit ocean animals both as conservation measures and as welfare interventions. Reducing fishing pressure within protected areas decreases mortality from bycatch and entanglement, improves habitat quality, and allows fish populations to recover to sizes where individuals are healthier and better nourished. For cetaceans, protection from commercial shipping and sonar can reduce the chronic noise stress that disrupts feeding and communication. The 30x30 conservation targets, if achieved with genuinely protective management, would constitute a major welfare improvement for billions of ocean animals. The gap between designated protection and effective enforcement is critical.