Holistic conservation

Although there is currently relatively little policy-level understanding about the need to protect the ecological wealth and diversity of the Indian Ocean, one of the important strategies involved in doing so effectively is to set aside sections of the sea and coast – legally declaring them marine protected areas (MPAs). An MPA typically spans an area that covers the coastal belt and its ecology, whether wetland, mangroves or beaches, and extending into the deeper ocean. Most MPAs are places of great biodiversity, though their development also has direct impact on the livelihoods and cultures of small-scale, traditional fishing and coastal communities. Therefore, such communities are an integral partner for any MPA effort to be successful.

Over time, various strategies have been employed to safeguard the Southasian seas. When compared to more specific strategies, such as those aimed at restoration of mangroves and corals, MPAs, which are all-encompassing in their conservation scope, have proven to be far more successful. MPAs are set up with various objectives, which broadly include protecting threatened species, or safeguarding fragile habitats critical for the survival of many species, including those that are economically important. Such an approach can do much to ensure the long-term viability of marine resources and the preservation of genetic diversity of species and ecosystems. MPAs can allow overfished populations to recover both in terms of stock and size, thereby ensuring sustainable fish harvests, and also help to preserve sites that are of natural, aesthetic, cultural and historical significance. In addition, they can play a significant role in facilitating research, education, training and tourism, even while conserving the ecology of particular areas.