How marine protected areas benefit wild fish welfare by reducing capture stress, injury, and providing refuges from human disturbance.
Marine protected areas are primarily framed as conservation tools, but they have significant welfare implications for the billions of wild fish that live within and adjacent to their boundaries. Fish in heavily fished areas experience chronic disturbance, capture-and-release stress, habitat degradation, and disrupted social structures. MPAs provide refuges where fish can live without these stressors, expressing natural behavior and reaching natural ages and sizes. The welfare benefits of expanding MPA coverage are substantial and are achieved alongside conservation objectives, making MPA advocacy an area where welfare and conservation interests align strongly.