ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and commences with an exploration of the terminological issues. The previous analysis demonstrates that MPAs have been recognised as an important tool for the conservation and management of our oceans. The lack of any single international law instrument for MPAs has meant that each treaty regime has developed separately. Temporal issues are already incorporated into some area-based legal tools in terms of the opening and closing of waters depending on the health of fish stocks, for example, and seasonal harvesting bans. A specific legal issue arises where networks of MPAs cross jurisdictional boundaries. Monitoring oceans is problematic given the vastness of the areas, remoteness from coastal States and the limited resources available to most States. The chapter concludes with an examination of gaps and challenges in current legal frameworks and how we can better protect and manage ocean areas.
