Sri Lankan Marine Protected Areas demonstrate low levels of protection and establishment efficiency

WINTEROVÁ, Barbora, Chanaka SOORIYABANDARA, Terney PRADEEP KUMARA and Jeffrey Clark NEKOLA. Sri Lankan Marine Protected Areas demonstrate low levels of protection and establishment efficiency. In 6th European Conference of Tropical Ecology. 2023. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.30427/ecotrop202303.

Basic information

• Original name: Sri Lankan Marine Protected Areas demonstrate low levels of protection and establishment efficiency
• Authors: WINTEROVÁ, Barbora, Chanaka SOORIYABANDARA, Terney PRADEEP KUMARA and Jeffrey Clark NEKOLA.
• Edition: 6th European Conference of Tropical Ecology, 2023.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Presentations at conferences
• Country of publisher: Czech Republic
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: URL
• Organization unit: Faculty of Science
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.30427/ecotrop202303
• Keywords in English: Sri Lanka, Marine Protected Areas

Abstract

Are Sri Lankan Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) simply “paper parks”? As little hard biological survey data is available to assess the efficacy of these reserves, we have attempted to address this question using an approach which considers the harmful activities impacting sites, as well as their planning and management. Our findings, based on thorough review and personal knowledge, suggest that Sri Lankan MPA implementation makes successful MPAs unlikely. Harmful fishing, anchoring, and non-extractive activities within the areas, and spill over of pollutants from external sources, all occur with their magnitude varying between different MPA types. Lack of administrative transparency, communication, awareness, insufficient funding and staffing also seriously jeopardize MPA efficacy. Levels of collaboration and partnership with surrounding human communities are mostly undocumented, with social objectives and maintenance of human well-being not being considered in management plans. Because only areas reaching a certain standard of good practice can protect biodiversity and accrue its benefits, we are concerned that Sri Lankan MPAs will not necessarily achieve these goals. Ensuring their success will ultimately require better legislative and ministerial support, involvement of local human communities and promotion of sustainable financing and alternative livelihoods for those dependent on the MPA resources.