Conservation Science

In Pacific Ocean, Expanded Protections Didn’t Hurt Fishing

The expansion of two large U.S. marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Pacific Ocean had no measurable economic effects on the fishing industry, according to a study published in the journal Nature Communications, one of only a few studies to apply rigorous scientific methods to this issue.

When countries cooperate to manage the ocean, they can promote a more equitable distribution of the costs of setting up marine protected areas (MPAs).