Practitioner's Field Guide for Marine Conservation Agreements
- MCA Field Guide
- MCA Field Guide Checklist
- Phase 1: Feasibility Analysis Checklist
- 1.1 Conservation targets are established
- 1.2 Threats and strategies are determined
- 1.3 Owners, managers, and users are known
- 1.4 Laws and policies are supportive
- 1.5 Organizational capacity is sufficient
- 1.6 Stakeholders and their issues are identified
- 1.7 Costs and financing are assessed
- 1.8 Reporting has been completed
- Phase 2: Engagement Checklist
- 2.1 Team selected
- 2.2 Plan developed
- 2.3 Ideas exchanged
- 2.4 Agreement verified
- Phase 3: Agreement Design Checklist
- 3.1 Conservation commitments are established
- 3.2 Recipient benefits are determined
- 3.3 Compliance mechanisms are developed
- 3.4 Sanctions are agreed upon
- 3.5 Regulatory permits issued or applied for
- 3.6 Final actions are completed
- Phase 4: Implementation Checklist
- 4.1 Administration accounted for
- 4.2 Planning initiated
- 4.3 Outreach planned and begun
- 4.4 Science program established
- 4.5 Enforcement needs assessed and met
- 4.6 Public uses promoted and managed
- 4.7 Livelihoods identified
- 4.8 Habitat management needs realized
- 4.9 Maintenance identified and scheduled
- 4.10 Funding needs assessed and acquired for the long-term
The Practitioner's Field Guide for Marine Conservation Agreement (MCAs) is intended to take practitioners through a four phase, step-by-step process to investigate, develop and implement MCAs. The MCA field guide consists of:
The field guide can be used as a stand-alone document and can be downloaded in its entirety by clicking on the link at the top of the checklist to the right. The checklist on the right is provided on each page of the on-line field guide to help practitioners track where they are in the process. A single-page version of the checklist can be downloaded by clicking on the second link at the top of the checklist to the right.
Supporting information can be found in other sections of this toolkit. Throughout the process, we encourage practitioners to reach out to others in the marine conservation community, through internal or external networks or by using the MCA toolkit, to learn from and contribute to the experiences of others.
Each phase of the field guide has several sub-steps. The phases and sub-steps are presented in an order that should more or less be applied chronologically. However, project-specific circumstances may require practitioners to diverge from this order by undertaking some activities before others or by returning to activities that have already been completed but require additional work. This non-chronological, iterative application of the field guide phases and sub-steps is likely more common than not.
Target Audience
The MCA field guide identifies a process to evaluate the applicability of MCAs to a specific site, resource or ecosystem service. The field guide is intended to be used by conservation practitioners who understand the basic theory and framework of MCAs. The field guide does not give detailed background and contextual information regarding MCAs, nor does it provide extensive information on marine and coastal biology. For detailed information on MCAs, readers should review other sections of the on-line toolkit.
MCA Theory and Framework
When using the field guide, practitioners should keep in mind the theory and framework for MCAs. MCAs make biodiversity conservation a viable choice for land and resource owners, managers and users (collectively, right-holders) by providing tangible benefits in exchange for effective conservation of high priority areas and species. At a minimum, MCAs specify the conservation actions that must be undertaken, the benefits that will be provided in return for those actions, and a monitoring system with sanctions to ensure compliance with the terms of the MCA.
First Phase
The first thing conservation organizations must do is understand whether an MCA is feasible in the area and for the purposes they desire.
Proceed to Phase 1: Feasibility Analysis