Marine protected areas reduce fishing pressure and habitat destruction, providing refugia where fish and marine animals can live without intensive human-caused welfare threats.
Marine protected areas serve animal welfare by creating spaces where fish and marine animals can live without intensive fishing pressure, underwater noise, and habitat destruction. The behavioral differences between fish inside and outside well-enforced MPAs reveal how significantly fishing pressure affects their lives - fish in protected areas show less flight response to divers, more natural social behavior, and better body condition than those in heavily fished areas. The protection of habitat - coral reefs, seagrass meadows, kelp forests - within MPAs extends welfare benefits to all dependent species. Supporting MPA expansion and enforcement is one of the most impactful ocean welfare interventions available.