Ecosystem-Based Marine Spatial Planning & Management

Ecosystem-Based Marine

Spatial Planning &

Management

Ole Vestergaard

Marine & Coastal Ecosystem Branch

Division for Environmental Policy Implementation UNEP

UNEP-DOALOS-FAO-WIOMSA Regional Training Course on Ecosystem-Based Marine Management, 27-31 Oct. 2008, Mombasa

• The concept of ecosystem-based spatial management

• Taking into account essenial habitats and ecosystem variability

• Marine spatial planning frameworks • Marine Protected Areas as one tool in

wider integrated marine management

- everything

5 features to consider in Ecosystem-Based Management

• Focus on the ability of the ecosystem to support human well-being

• Natural boundaries are most relevant to the conservation of ecosystem services

• Various sectors of human activity interact so management should be integrated

• Impacts of human activities on an ecosystem are often cumulative across both time and space

• Trade-offs in services among sectors must be made and should be explicit

Ecosystem approach is place-based

Some important ecological marine areas include: • Areas of high diversity

• Areas of high endemism

• Areas of high productivity, e.g., up-welling areas • Spawning areas

• Nursery areas or grounds • Migration stopover points

Connectivity between essential habitats

Determine spatial and temporal

dynamics to develop effective

ecosystem management

Mapping

essential habitats

Understanding

ecosystem

variability

in space and time

and impacts of

drivers on delivery

of ecosystem

3D Multibeam bathymetry of the MPA at Læsø Trindel in northern Kattegat, GEUS

Habitat mapping as basis for ecosystem-based

managemnet

East African Bioregion – Species and habitat priority areas

Dugongs, turtles, sharks Wetlands, sandy

shores

Fish and squids Mangroves

But, problem! - other offshore interests, e.g. oil and gas

cross-sectorial

planning required

between line

ministries…

Technical University of Denmark

Danish Institute for Fisheries Research

Essential fish

habitats

Good windmill

Germany

North Sea

• Vessel Traffic Routes and Separation Zones • Safety Zones Around Vessels and Terminals • Anchoring & No-Anchoring Areas

• Security Zones in Ports and Waterways • Oil & Gas Lease or Concession Areas

• Wind Farm and Wave Park Lease or Concession Areas

• Safety Zones Around Oil & Gas Installations, Wind Farms, Wave Parks • Military Operations or Exercise Zones

• Dredging Sites or Areas

• Designated Dredged Material Disposal Areas or Zones • Oil & Gas Pipeline Rights of Way

• Submarine Communications Cable Rights of Way • Sand & Gravel (Aggregate) Extraction Areas

• Fishery Closure Areas, including seasonal closures • No Trawl Areas

• Critical Habitat Designations • Offshore Aquaculture Areas • Marine Protected Areas

• Protected Archeological Areas, e.g., Ship Wrecks • Cultural or Religious Areas

• Scientific Reference Sites

(Gubbay, 2004)

Marine spatial management

• Multiple use MPA • MPA no-take zone • Wind-farm zone

• Oil and gas licensed area • Fishery closure

• Shipping lane

福建省莆田市局部地区海洋功能区划图

Zoning of marine activities, Fujian Province, China

Fishing

Allocation of space for protection of fish by use of spatial and

temporal measures and territorial access rights as described by FAO

Code of Conduct Conservation

Allocation of space for conservation objectives, including PSSAs,

SAs, World Heritage sites, RAMSAR sites, the framework for MPAs of CBD

Transport

Allocation of space for shipping lanes and shipping separation

schemes oordinated by International Maritime Organization

Marine Mineral Mining

Allocation of space for marine mineral mining by the International

Seabed Authority

FAO Code of Conduct - new FAO Technical Guidelines on Deep-sea Fisheries and MPAs (in prep.)

EU Common Fisheries Policy – Long term sustainability, precautionary EU Habitat Directive – Natura 2000 sites

EU Maritime Policy : A European

Vision for the oceans and the sea 2007

- Ecosystem approach to marine management - Marine spatial planning and zoning

Large Marine Ecosystem approach

MPAs – a tool for integrated area-based ecosystem

management - and reconsiliation…

ƒ To protect habitats and species

against physical damage from fishing

Iceland MPAs are increasingly regarded a tool

in both fisheries management and ecosystem conservation

ƒ Closed seasons and/or areas to

protect ”essential fish habitats” (e.g. spawning sites) and effort regulation NB! Important to understand ecosystem dynamics and distribution of fish

life-stages and fish habitats to

Tools for integrated area-based ecosystem

management - and reconsiliation…

- linking ecological, economic and socio-economic information!

Iceland Enhanced tools for design and

management of MPAs / closed areas needed for:

• Site selection and design

• Adaptive design (climate change) • Success criteria

• Monitoring strategies

• Evaluating MPA effectiveness

• Coupling to management and policy-making

Way forward:

Need to integrate MPAs

in wider intergrated

spatial planning and

management!

Need to consider both

socio-economic and

biophysical dimensions

in MPA and wider

spatial planning

Adaptive MPA designs

Transboundary MPA

networks (RSP-RFMO?)

Convention of Biological Diversity

•

MPA networks, 10% of EEZ by 2010

•

MPA networks, 10% of global oceans by 2010

World Summit on Sustainable Development, 2002

•

Networks of Marine Protected Areas by 2012, e.g. time/area

closures for the protection of nursery grounds

EU Habitat Directive

•

Natura 2000 sites

Some ecosystem-related international processes & targets

MPA,

marine park,

reserve,

nature reserve,

habitat reserve,

protected area,

national seashore,

marine

wildlife reserve,

wilderness area,

maritime park,

sanctuary,

life refuge,

conservation area,

no-take

zone,

fisheries closure,

fish box,

closed area,

Special

Areas of Conservation (SAC’s),

multiple-use area,

national

park

,

speciesspecific harvest refugia,

FULL RESERVE,

refugium,

gear or behavioural restrictions,

seasonal

restrictions

, etc…

Pragmatic definition to move ahead:

An MPA represents any marine area set aside

under legislation or other effective means to

protect marine values.

MPAs mean different things to different people!

- considerable confusion on terminologies an

obstacle for decision making and legislation…

NB! MPAs with no management plan and

enforcement is hardly an MPA…

seasonal and year-round

closures are a major

measure used to

manage 20 NE USA

groundfish stocks

Closed in 1994,

‘96, ’98

>22,000 km

closed

year-round

Ge

org

es

Ban

k

Canada

USA

S. New

England

2003

VMS

= 1-8

= 9-25

= 26-63

= 64-145

= 146-309

Vessel Hours

Compliance?

Haddock, Closed Area I, Fall

Year

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Mean Weight per Tow (ln kg + 1)

0 1 2 3 4 5

Inside

Outside

MPAs in High Seas

A major challenge..!

Common scientific criteria

(progress at COB9, May 2008)

Enforcement/compliance?

Commonwealth of Australia 2002. Tasmanian Seamounts Marine Reserve Management Plan

Vertical zonation

strictly no human activities

pelagic fisheries allowed

Commonwealth of Australia 2002. Tasmanian Seamounts Marine Reserve Management Plan

Rockall Bank 1000m 1000m Rockall 2000 m 50 0m High Seas EU Fishing Zone Logachev Mounds Northwest Rockall

West Rockall Mounds

200m Haddock Box 20°0'0"W 18°0'0"W 16°0'0"W 14°0'0"W 12°0'0"W 55°0'0"N 56°0'0"N 57°0'0"N 58°0'0"N

¯

Disclaimer: International boundaries are illustrative only

Area in which VMS

(Vessel Monitoring System) data on fishing boat locations were collected Legend

European Fishing Zone

Records of coldwater corals Proposed closed areas to protect cold-water corals

Natura 2000

European nature

conservation

Selected habitats

& species

EU-level

fisheries

management versus national

legislation on

nature conservation

- scope for reconsiliation??

German

Natura 2000 sites in

North Sea

German EEZ

EU Common Fisheries Policy

(sharred fishing grounds)

Sandeel is an important

prey item for many

marine predators and a

valuable commercial

fishery.

Fishery

Fish

predators

Marine mammals

Seabirds

North Sea

√

√

†

†

†

√

Eggs hatch at banks

and larvae drift

passively with currents.

Larvae must drift to

suitable habitat to

settle.

Sandbanks serve different functions for sandeel population

dynamics on a regional scale, with some more essential than

others.

Effective MPA site selection on the local level is extremely

important for sandeel management on a North Sea scale.

Implications in wider management of the maritime sector!

Hypothetical MPA network..

Adaptive area-based management

in face of climate change ??

North Sea

sandeel habitats

Sandeel MPA today

Sandeel MPA

20 years later…

Site selection MPA design 2.1 Mapping of species and habitat distributions 2.2 Modelling expected performance 2.3 Selecting sites using criteria lists or site selection software 2.4 Setting boundaries and level of protection Creation of MPA 3.1 Formulating management plan 3.2 Implementatio n process 3.3 Regulations allowing for adaptive management Monitoring of MPA 4.1 Monitoring target species and ecosystem effects 4.2 Monitoring fishing fleet responses 4.3 Monitoring compliance Evaluation and adaptive management 5.1 Evaluating ecological effects 5.2 Evaluating bio- and socioeconomi c effects 5.3 Adapting management measures Initial MPA planning 1.2 Reviewing the legal basis for the

MPA 1.3 Formulating success criteria 1.4 Gathering information on human activities 1.5 Identifying knowledge required for site selection 1.1 Identifying conservation focus, goals and objectives

6. Stakeholder involvement and information to public

Iterative MPA planning framework

Some recommendations

1. Marine spatial planning is an element of marine management that can influence the location of human activities

2. Cross-sectoral planning (national / regional) essential in initial objective-setting and planning

3. Zoning is only one tool of marine spatial management—

implementation will always use a mix of regulatory and non-regulatory measures

4. Need to integrate MPAs in wider intergrated spatial planning and management

5. Need to consider both socio-economic and biophysical dimensions in MPA design and wider spatial planning

Some recommendations

7. Integrating the human dimension requires the same diversity of disciplines and perspectives as does the ecosystem approach relative to biophysical environment

8. Early and continuing engagement of stakeholders in transparent process is critical to success

9. Monitoring and evaluation are critical components of the management process

10. Need mapping of variability and changes in ecosystem dynamics and service delivery, as well as human uses and socio-economic dimensions, as basis for adaptive management

…thank you!!

More information:

Ole Vestergaard

Marine & Coastal Ecosystem Branch

Division for Environmental Policy Implementation UNEP