Question: In what locations can MCAs be used?
Answer: Marine Conservation Agreements are being used and can be used in many parts of the world.
Virginia Coast Reserve. Image courtesy The Nature Conservancy, Virginia
Various forms of Marine Conservation Agreements (MCAs) are more common than many people think. For instance nearly every ocean coast state in the United States has some form of leasing available to private entities. Private, fee-simple ownership of inter-tidal areas is also quite common—approximately 70% of the inter-tidal areas of Puget Sound in Washington State are privately owned while approximately 75% of the inter-tidal areas of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are privately owned. Outside of the United States, communal ownership and private concessions are often found.
The Country Analyses and U.S. State Analyses in this toolkit provide information regarding the feasibility of MCAs in specific locations. While in some areas there is extensive knowledge and experience, in other areas a need exists to build upon limited knowledge. In these areas, the laws, policies, and practices related to ocean and coastal ownership, use, and management must still be analyzed to determine if and how MCAs can be used. Ideally these analyses are done with the aid or collaboration of the responsible management entities.
The Field Projects (and companion Field Project Inventory) in this toolkit identify specific locations of MCA projects that have been or could be undertaken for conservation purposes. In theory, MCAs should be replicable where projects have already been undertaken. In addition, the field projects can also pave the way for creative thinking on how to apply the strategies in new areas.
Finally, access to maps or spatial data (depicting natural features, human uses, and ownership), helps organizations understand where MCAs are possible. This information is sometimes readily available via the Internet and has been summarized for the U.S. ocean coast states in the Maps page for each state. Maps and spatial data for other countries are not yet available through this toolkit.