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Context

• India will continue to support setting up two Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in Antarctica to protect marine life and its ecosystem services.

Need for MPAs in Antarctica

• The Southern Ocean that encircles Antarctica covers around 10 per cent of the global ocean and is home to nearly 10,000 unique polar species.
• Climate change is altering habitats such as sea ice and the sheltered seafloor under ice shelves that are home to a variety of species. 
  • Commercial fishery harvest krill, a shrimp-like crustacean that can grow to 6 centimetres in length, to produce fish meal for feeding farmed fish and nutritional supplements for people.
  • Increased harvesting of krill threatens animals that feed on them. These include fish, whales, seals, penguins and other seabirds. 
• Climate change and anthropogenic exploitation (commercial fishing) of the region need to be minimised, and therefore MPA is necessary,” BC Choudhary, senior technical advisor at the Wildlife Trust of India, told 

MPAs in Southern Ocean

• The Southern Ocean has two MPAs — one in the southern shelf of the South Orkney Islands and the other in the Ross Sea.
• These fully protect only 5 per cent of the ocean. 
• All types of fishing, other than scientific research, are prohibited within the southern shelf of the South Orkney Islands MPA.
• Discharges and dumping from fishing vessels are also not allowed.
• No further MPAs have been established despite three further MPAs being at advanced stages of development.

Prospective MPAs

• Since 2012, the European Union and Australia have proposed an MPA in East Antarctica.
• An MPA was proposed in the Weddell Sea by the EU and Norway and in the waters surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula by Chile and Argentina.
• In 2021, India extended its support for designating East Antarctica and the Weddell Sea as MPA.  
• China and Russia blocked these efforts at the 41st annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).

Marine Protected Areas

Need

• Marine ecosystems are immensely varied both in type and geographical extent.
• Covering about 70% of the earth’s surface, these ecosystems play a crucial role in human welfare, by providing social, economic and environmental benefits to the world’s growing population.
• The pressures on marine ecosystems from human activities however are multiple, and expected to rise.
• These pressures can also re-enforce each other, exerting cumulative impacts on marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
• Ocean-based industries are projected to double their contribution to global value-added by 2030.

About

• A marine protected area (MPA) is essentially a space in the ocean where human activities are more strictly regulated than the surrounding waters - similar to parks we have on land.
• These places are given special protections for natural or historic marine resources by local, state, territorial, native, regional, or national authorities.        

• According to this definition, MPAs cover about 4.12% of the total marine environment.
• Under both the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Sustainable Development Goals, Parties have agreed to conserve 10% of marine and coastal areas by 2020.
• CBD Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 states: By 2020, at least 17% of terrestrial and inland water, and 10% of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscape and seascapes.

Benefits

• MPAs can provide a wide variety of benefits ranging from the conservation of whole areas that are home to important biodiversity, serving as nursery grounds for fisheries and enhancing fish stocks, protecting habitats that buffer the impacts of storms and waves, and removing excess nutrients and pollutants from the water.
• They can also provide more sustainable tourism and recreational benefits, as well as enhance other non-use values such as cultural and heritage values.

Challenges

• Strategically siting MPAs so as to maximise environmental and socio-economic benefits in a cost-effective way.
• Agreeing on and implementing adequate MPA management plans.
• Putting in place robust monitoring and reporting frameworks.
• Ensuring solid compliance and enforcement mechanisms l mobilising sufficient finance to enable sustainable management.
• Embedding MPAs in an effective policy mix so as to address the multiple pressures.

Way Forward

• Develop a clear understanding of the state of and pressures on particular marine and coastal ecosystems, the likelihood that MPAs can address these, and the range of stakeholders involved.
• Clearly define the goals and objectives of the MPA, and the required level of protection to achieve these. These should be stated at an operational level, so as to be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound (SMART), and accompanying indicators should be identified that will enable the eventual assessment of whether the objectives are being met.
• Estimate the expected costs and benefits of MPAs. While studies evaluating the costs and benefits of MPAs do exist, in general economic valuation is not yet widespread and is not being used to help inform the design and implementation of MPAs.
• Siting of MPAs needs to be undertaken in more strategic manner, to enhance the environmental as well as cost-effectiveness of MPAs. Software tools such as Marxan and MarZone which aid systematic reserve design have been used in several cases but could be adopted more widely

List of Marine Protected Areas in Peninsular India

S.No.	State/UT	Name of MPA	Legal Status	Area	Year of Notificaion
1	Andhra Pradesh	Coringa	Sanctuary	235.70	1978
2	Andhra Pradesh	Krishna	Sanctuary	194.81	1989
3	Andhra Pradesh	Pulicat Lake	Sanctuary	600.00	1980
4	Daman & Diu	Fudam	Sanctuary	2.18	1991
5	Goa	Chorao Island	Sanctuary	1.78	1988
6	Gujarat	Marine (Gulf of Kachchh)	National Park	162.89	1995
7	Gujarat	Marine (Gulf of Kachchh)	Sanctuary	295.03	1980
8	Gujarat	Khijadia	Sanctuary	6.05	1981
9	Kerala	Kadalundi Vallikkunnu	Community Reserve	1.50	2007
10	Maharashtra	Malvan Marine	Sanctuary	29.12	1987
11	Maharashtra	Thane Creek Flamingo	Sanctuary	16.905	2015
12	Odisha	Bhitarkanika	National Park	145.00	1998
13	Odisha	Bhitarkanika	Sanctuary	525.00	1975
14	Odisha	Chilka (Nalaban)	Sanctuary	15.53	1987
15	Odisha	Gahirmatha	Sanctuary	1435.00	1997
16	Odisha	Balukhand Konark	Sanctuary	71.72	1984
17	Tamil Nadu	Gulf of Mannar Marine	National Park	526.02	1980
18	Tamil Nadu	Point Calimere	Sanctuary	17.26	1967
19	Tamil Nadu	Pulicat Lake	Sanctuary	153.67	1980
20	Tamil Nadu	Pulicat Lake Block-A & Block-B	Sanctuary	124.0727	2013
21	West Bengal	Sundarbans	National Park	1330.10	1984
22	West Bengal	West Sundarbans	Sanctuary	556.45	2013
23	West Bengal	Haliday Island	Sanctuary	5.95	1976
24	West Bengal	Sajnakhali	Sanctuary	362.40	1976
25	West Bengal	Lothian Island	Sanctuary	38.00	1976
Total Area				6852.14

List of Marine Protected Areas in Islands of India

S.No.	Name of MPA	Legal Status	Area of MPA	Year of Notification
Andaman & Nicobars Islands
1	Campbell Bay	National Park	426.23	1992
2	Galathea Bay	National Park	110.00	1992
3	Mahatama Gandhi Marine (Wandoor)	National Park	281.50	1983
4	Mount Harriett	National Park	46.62	1987
5	Rani Jhansi Marine	National Park	320.06	1996
6	Saddle Peak	National Park	32.54	1987
7	Arial Island	Sanctuary	0.05	1987
8	Bamboo Island	Sanctuary	0.05	1987
9	Barren Island	Sanctuary	8.10	1987
10	Battimalv Island	Sanctuary	2.23	1987
11	Belle Island	Sanctuary	0.08	1987
12	Benett Island	Sanctuary	3.46	1987
13	Bingham Island	Sanctuary	0.08	1987
14	Blister Island	Sanctuary	0.26	1987
15	Bluff Island	Sanctuary	1.14	1987
16	Bondoville Island	Sanctuary	2.55	1987
17	Brush Island	Sanctuary	0.23	1987
18	Buchanan Island	Sanctuary	9.33	1987
19	Chanel Island	Sanctuary	0.13	1987
20	Cinque Islands	Sanctuary	9.51	1987
21	Clyde Island	Sanctuary	0.54	1987
22	Cone Island	Sanctuary	0.65	1987
23	Curlew (B.P.) Island	Sanctuary	0.16	1987
24	Curlew Island	Sanctuary	0.03	1987
25	Cuthbert Bay	Sanctuary	5.82	1997
26	Defence Island	Sanctuary	10.49	1987
27	Dot Island	Sanctuary	0.13	1987
28	Dottrell Island	Sanctuary	0.13	1987
29	Duncan Island	Sanctuary	0.73	1987
30	East Island	Sanctuary	6.11	1987
31	East of Inglis Island	Sanctuary	3.55	1987
32	Egg Island	Sanctuary	0.05	1987
33	Elat Island	Sanctuary	9.36	1987
34	Entrance Island	Sanctuary	0.96	1987
35	Gander Island	Sanctuary	0.05	1987
36	Girjan Island	Sanctuary	0.16	1987
37	Goose Island	Sanctuary	0.01	1987
38	Hump Island	Sanctuary	0.47	1987
39	Interview Island	Sanctuary	133.87	1987
40	James Island	Sanctuary	2.10	1987
41	Jungle Island	Sanctuary	0.52	1987
42	Kwangtung Island	Sanctuary	0.57	1987
43	Kyd Island	Sanctuary	8.00	1987
44	Landfall Island	Sanctuary	29.48	1987
45	Latouche Island	Sanctuary	0.96	1987
46	Lohabarrack (Saltwater Crocodile)	Sanctuary	22.21	1987
47	Mangrove Island	Sanctuary	0.39	1987
48	Mask Island	Sanctuary	0.78	1987
49	Mayo Island	Sanctuary	0.10	1987
50	Montogemery Island	Sanctuary	0.21	1987
51	Narcondam Island	Sanctuary	6.81	1987
52	North Brother Island	Sanctuary	0.75	1987
53	North Island	Sanctuary	0.49	1987
54	North Reef Island	Sanctuary	3.48	1987
55	Oliver Island	Sanctuary	0.16	1987
56	Orchid Island	Sanctuary	0.10	1987
57	Ox Island	Sanctuary	0.13	1987
58	Oyster Island-I	Sanctuary	0.08	1987
59	Oyster Island-II	Sanctuary	0.21	1987
60	Paget Island	Sanctuary	7.36	1987
61	Parkinson Island	Sanctuary	0.34	1987
62	Passage Island	Sanctuary	0.62	1987
63	Patric Island	Sanctuary	0.13	1987
64	Peacock Island	Sanctuary	0.62	1987
65	Pitman Island	Sanctuary	1.37	1987
66	Point Island	Sanctuary	3.07	1987
67	Potanma Islands	Sanctuary	0.16	1987
68	Ranger Island	Sanctuary	4.26	1987
69	Reef Island	Sanctuary	1.74	1987
70	Roper Island	Sanctuary	1.46	1987
71	Ross Island	Sanctuary	1.01	1987
72	Rowe Island	Sanctuary	0.01	1987
73	Sandy Island	Sanctuary	1.58	1987
74	Sea Serpent Island	Sanctuary	0.78	1987
75	Shark Island	Sanctuary	0.60	1987
76	Shearme Island	Sanctuary	7.85	1987
77	Sir Hugh Rose Island	Sanctuary	1.06	1987
78	Sisters Island	Sanctuary	0.36	1987
79	Snake Island-I	Sanctuary	0.73	1987
80	Snake Island-II	Sanctuary	0.03	1987
81	South Brother Island	Sanctuary	1.24	1987
82	South Reef Island	Sanctuary	1.17	1987
83	South Sentinel Island	Sanctuary	1.61	1987
84	Spike Island-I	Sanctuary	0.42	1987
85	Spike Island-II	Sanctuary	11.70	1987
86	Stoat Island	Sanctuary	0.44	1987
87	Surat Island	Sanctuary	0.31	1987
88	Swamp Island	Sanctuary	4.09	1987
89	Table (Delgarno) Island	Sanctuary	2.29	1987
90	Table (Excelsior) Island	Sanctuary	1.69	1987
91	Talabaicha Island	Sanctuary	3.21	1987
92	Temple Island	Sanctuary	1.04	1987
93	Tillongchang Island	Sanctuary	16.83	1985
94	Tree Island	Sanctuary	0.03	1987
95	Trilby Island	Sanctuary	0.96	1987
96	Tuft Island	Sanctuary	0.29	1987
97	Turtle Islands	Sanctuary	0.39	1987
98	West Island	Sanctuary	6.40	1987
99	Wharf Island	Sanctuary	0.11	1987
100	White Cliff Island	Sanctuary	0.47	1987
Total Area			1594.78
Lakshadweep
1	Pitti	Sanctuary	0.01	2002
2	A. Attakoya Thangal Marine	Conservation Reserve	40.00	2019
3	Dr. K.K. Mohammed Koya Sea Cucumber	Conservation Reserve	172.59	2019
4	P.M. Sayeed Marine Birds	Conservation Reserve	57.46	2019
Total Area			270.06
Grand Total Area			1864.84

PRACTICE QUESTION Q) The total ecosystem service benefits of achieving 10% coverage of MPAs have been estimated at USD 622-923 billion over the period 2015-2050. Discuss. (150 words)

 

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/world/-india-supports-marine-protected-areas-in-antarctica-to-conserve-ocean-life-jitendra-singh-to-dte-88489