Map of the Week – Marine Protected Areas
This week, the 5th International Congress on Marine Protected Areas (IMPAC5 ) took place in Vancouver (Canada), bringing together ocean conservation experts to chart a path to protect 30% of the global ocean by 2030. The congress’ goal was to provide a forum for the global community of marine conservation managers, practitioners, and decision-makers to share knowledge, experience, and best practices in order to strengthen marine biodiversity conservation and protect the ocean's natural and cultural heritage. IMPAC5 brought together Indigenous peoples and cultures from around the world to embrace a collaborative approach and learn from Indigenous leadership in ocean conservation. Throughout IMPAC5, the Government of Canada and partners announced several important initiatives that will help advance the health and protection of our oceans.
In this context, this week's map focuses on Marine Protected Areas. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been set up across the world’s ocean to protect vulnerable species and ecosystems, to conserve biodiversity and minimise extinction risk, to re-establish ecosystem integrity, to segregate uses to avoid user conflicts, and to enhance the productivity of fish and marine invertebrate populations. They provide a public focus for marine conservation and are commonly used around the world as management tools to promote the sustainable use of marine resources. Many MPAs also serve as living laboratories – critical to scientific research and discoveries that benefit humanity. When effectively managed, MPAs support the blue economy by helping to sustain fish stocks and bolstering tourism.
Wish to know more?
- Dive in and explore the Map of the Week! To see how the ratio of Marine Protected Area and terrestrial area has evolved over the past years for each European country, click on the countries in the map.
- Watch the IMPAC5 closing ceremony (video from 26:00 onwards).
The data in this map are provided by Eurostat.