A Marine Protected Area (MPA) has been defined by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as “any area of intertidal or subtidal terrain, together with its overlying water, and associated flora, fauna, historical and cultural features, which has been reserved and protected by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment”. In the wake of global threats such as climate change, ocean acidification and intensified resource extraction, the world’s seas are at risk. As a result, many nations have adopted Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as a tool for conserving biodiversity and ecosystem functions. There are 24 MPAs in peninsular India and more than 100 MPAs in the country’s islands. The Gulf of Kachchh Marine National Park, Gulf of Mannar National Park, Sundarbans National Park and Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park are some of the important MPAs of India.

Significance of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs):

• Protecting habitats: A declaration of an area as a Marine Protected Area helps to protect habitats. For example, it can help to restore the nesting sites of the Olive Ridley turtles at Odisha’s Ganjam district, which is under threat due to sea erosion.
• Helps to protect endemic species: MPAs help the authorities deal with the invasive species to protect the local biodiversity. They are also the key to arresting and possibly reversing the global and local decline in fish populations and productivity by protecting critical breeding, nursery and feeding habits. Further, they are sites for scientific study.
• Restrict human activities: MPA network declaration addresses habitat conversion to other land use, over exploitation of resources, pollution from domestic and industrial effluents, which otherwise lead to ecosystem degradation and destruction of coastal areas.
• Aid in income generation: MPAs raise the profile of an area for marine tourism, as they provide sites for nature-based recreation and also broaden local economic options.

The marine protected area network in India has been used as a tool to manage natural marine resources for biodiversity conservation and for the well-being of people dependent on it.

Challenges in extending the MPA network in India:

• Difference of opinion on factors: There is no consensus regarding factors that should be considered in declaring an area as a Marine Protected Area like the size of area, its habitat heterogeneity etc.
• Financial resources: It is difficult for a developing country like India to maintain and manage such areas in the long-run due to lack of adequate financial resources.
• Criticised as “paper parks”: Lack of synchronisation between social conditions and conservation efforts have led to MPAs being deemed as mere “paper parks”.
• Difficulty in extending the network: Due to the socio-economic dependency on coastal areas, it is difficult to extend the MPA network as national parks or sanctuaries.
• Lack of data: Poor data on status and distribution of the marine species in India has resulted in a compromise of the assessment of the conservation status of coastal and marine species of India using the IUCN Regional Red Listing Guidelines.

Way forward:

• Climate change adaptation plan: There is an urgent need to frame a climate change adaptation plan for the coastal and marine protected areas in the country.
• Inter-departmental coordination: Coordination among all the organizations/institutions that work for conservation of threatened marine species and the welfare of coastal communities is required.
• Maintaining data: Documentation and updation of database of information obtained through research on threatened marine species is urgently required.
• Human resource: Development of human resources to manage the MPAs of India is critical.

Dedicated efforts are required to secure and strengthen community participation in managing the Marine Protected Area network in India. Such efforts will also help to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, especially Target Number 11 and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Target of ’30×30′.