Abstract

This is the point at which MPA is now being defined as an essential tool for the conservation and sustainable management of fisheries in the sea, in response to the global crisis of overfishing and habitat destruction. This article will look at the dual purpose of the MPAs to ensure the economic prosperity of the coastal populations and ecological competitiveness of the corresponding fisheries therein, which makes it an extremely crucial insurance policy against a host of disasters, including climate change. The review utilizes the evidence regarding the mechanisms of MPA benefits, particularly the ideas of the spillover effects, exportation of larvae, and habitat protection as the leading causes of the increase in the fish biomass, catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE), and biological diversity in both the protected and adjacent fishing grounds. Secondly, there is the socio-economic dimension to the research that is the involvement of the local communities in ecotourism and sustainable livelihood development as a mandatory condition of MPA success. The new framework is proposed to be applied in order to assess the economic and ecological performance of MPAs without focusing only on simple measures but including indicators of social-ecological stability and good governance. The findings underline the need to have planned and executed MPAs, as components of a broader fisheries management plan, for the sustainability of the future and equity of resource distribution. The research provides evidence-based and valid grounds for policymakers to design and operate MPAs as a component of the blue economy and the sustainability of the coastline throughout the world.

Keywords: Marine protected areas, Fisheries resilience, Economic benefits, Ecological benefits, Spillover, Sustainable development, Blue economy