Protected Areas

Protected areas are an essential means for conserving biodiversity, critical habitats, the aesthetic values of a place and cultural resources. The identification and designation of protected areas is invariably an important element of a comprehensive management plan for a coastal area. In the 1990’s major efforts were made to designate national parks and reserves and then to provide for their effective administration. More recently there have been many efforts to encourage the designation and management of protected areas at the community scale. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) defines the term marine protected area (MPA) 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 by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment.” Such protection can be provided by the community or through more formal designations by a provincial or national government. CRC views MPAs as one tool in a broader coastal management strategy—one in which multiple uses are addressed through an area-wide development and conservation program. As such, in partnership with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) CRC has developed an innovative, first-of-its-kind program—the Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Area Professionals Certification Programme or WIO-COMPAS.