Home | Contact OSPAR | Search

Version française

OSPAR Network of Marine Protected Areas

Introduction

One of the tools that can be used to ensure the sustainable use and protection and conservation of marine biological diversity and its ecosystems is the implementation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The use of protected zones is a long established practice for the protection of resources and livelihoods. More recently MPAs have entered the international political arena. At the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 world leaders committed themselves to addressing the current inadequate protection of oceans and coasts by creating representative networks of MPAs by 2012.

Within OSPAR, MPAs are understood as areas for which protective, conservation, restorative or precautionary measures have been instituted for the purpose of protecting and conserving species, habitats, ecosystems or ecological processes of the marine environment.

OSPAR Network of MPAs

At the Ministerial Meeting in Sintra in 1998, OSPAR Ministers agreed at to promote the establishment of a network of marine protected areas  and following a period of preparatory work, the 2003 OSPAR Ministerial Meeting in Bremen adopted Recommendation 2003/3 on a network of marine protected areas with the purpose of establishing an ecologically coherent network of well-managed MPAs in the North-East Atlantic by 2010.The aims of the OSPAR network of MPAs are:

  • to protect, conserve and restore species, habitats and ecological processes which have been adversely affected by human activities;
  • to prevent degradation of, and damage to, species, habitats and ecological processes, following the precautionary principle;
  • to protect and conserve areas that best represent the range of species, habitats and ecological processes in the maritime area.
A third report on progress made in establishing the OSPAR Network of MPAs is now available. Contracting Parties have so far reported on the selection of 106 MPAs as components of the OSPAR network of MPAs. OSPAR has noted that substantial further progress on MPA designation and management is required if OSPAR is to be in a position to meet the target of a well managed and ecologically coherent network by 2010. Fuller details of the sites that Contracting Parties have reported to OSPAR are held in the OSPAR MPA database.

MPAs in areas beyond national jurisdiction

OSPAR has also agreed to consider proposals from Contracting Parties and observers on possible components of the OSPAR network of MPAs in areas of the North-East Atlantic outside the jurisdiction of the Contracting Parties and where appropriate consider with other authorities how such areas could be protected. Following a proposal from a number of Contracting Parties, OSPAR 2008 agreed to take forward work seeking to establish an OSPAR MPA for the Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone on the Mid Atlantic Ridge. This is an area for which OSPAR 2008 recognised there is comprehensive scientific case for establishing an OSPAR MPA. OSPAR is now liaising with other competent authorities, scientists and other stakeholders on this area, as well as pursuing work to consider whether other areas justify protection.

Guidance for the development and management of the OSPAR network

To assist work by Contracting Parties on developing the network, OSPAR 2003 adopted guidance documents on identifying and selecting sites to include in the OSPAR network and on managing MPAs as part of the network. OSPAR has since augmented this guidance through the development of the concept of ecological coherence. Several products have been issued including guidance on developing an ecologically coherent MPA network, a scorecard to assist with MPA network design, and a background document on assessment of ecological coherence. OSPAR has also agreed a scorecard to assess the effectiveness of management of OSPAR MPAs and a guidance document on good practice for communicating with stakeholders in the establishment and management of MPAs.

Reporting of MPAs

MPAs selected by Contracting Parties as components of the OSPAR network can be reported using the OSPAR nomination database (Latest version: July 2008). Completed versions of the database should be sent to the OSPAR Secretariat and to the lead country, Germany (Mr Tim Packeiser - tim.packeiser@bfn-vilm.de). Contracting Parties should also complete the implementation reporting format for Recommendation 2003/3 when they submit reports of selected MPAs or develop management plans or management measures for sites within the network. It is recommended that any proposals for MPAs in areas outside national jurisdiction should be submitted in the first instance in paper format using the following nomination proforma (English version) (French Version).