- Navakavu, Fiji
- Bunaken, Indonesia
- Arnavon Islands, Solomon Islands
- Apo Island, the Philippines
Linking Poverty Reduction and Marine Protected Areas
The groundbreaking study, led by an economist from Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam and an independent social scientist, was conducted at four separate locations in the Pacific:
An MPA is an area of ocean or coastal water that is recognized by both government and society as having specific conservation value. Measures are put in place to preserve the quality of marine life that can include restricted access for fishing, diving and other potentially harmful activities.
MPAs are a key component of the Conservancy’s strategy to conserve ocean and coastal habitats. We work to identify, protect and restore some of most resilient examples of healthy ocean and coastal habitats in ways that benefit marine life, coastal communities and economies. Our global effort includes protecting unique underwater landscapes such as Kimbe Bay in Papua New Guinea and the Florida Keys. The sites for this study were deliberately chosen because local experts believed marine conservation efforts there had contributed to poverty reduction.
“By focusing on potentially positive examples, we aimed to identify key factors for success that could be replicated elsewhere,” explains Craig Leisher, co-author of the report and a senior policy advisor for the Conservancy.
Working in partnership with local non-governmental organizations and universities, the researchers talked to over 1,100 local people about the changes they had seen in their quality of life since the creation of the nearby marine protected areas. Across the four sites, there was clear evidence that poverty had been reduced by several factors: