Climate-relevant achievements in 2022: marine protected areas

Awareness of the importance of establishing protected areas in our seas has led to a number of protected zones this year.

These are areas of the oceans that are particularly protected, i.e. where human activities are severely restricted to protect the animals and plants that live there.

In January 2020, the island state of Palau in the Pacific Ocean topped the world rankings with the largest proportion of fully or heavily protected marine protected areas.

Until then, tiny Palau had placed 78% (477,463 ^km2) of the marine areas in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (which is more than the area of California) under strict protection. Fishing and all forms of resource extraction are prohibited here.

One of the largest marine protected areas is Hawaii's Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

It has been shown that not only the marine life within its boundaries benefits from the protection zone, but also the ecosystem at its edges.

A study published in October 2022 showed that local fishermen have been catching more tuna outside its boundaries since the protected area was established.

The researchers explain this fact with the transmission effect. According to them, the good condition of the fish populations in the protected area rubs off on neighboring areas.

Findings of this kind make it clear that people as well as nature benefit from the establishment of protected areas and that a sustainable economy is possible with them.

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