Question: What are the different types of MCAs?
Answer: A variety of different types of Marine Conservation Agreements exist, including assents, certifications, concessions, contracts, leases, licenses, management and partnership agreements, permits, purchase & sale agreements, use authorizations and withdrawals.
Marine Conservation Agreements (MCAs) can take a variety of forms and can be ascribed a variety of names. Typical MCAs include assents, certifications, concessions, contracts, leases, licenses, management and partnership agreements, permits, purchase & sale agreements (acquisitions). use authorizations and withdrawals (examples of MCAs can be accessed from Sample Documents). The different types of MCAs can be entered into by two or more parties and either convey rights and management responsibilities or obligate right-holders to act in certain ways and to refrain from certain activities. Since there are many types of MCAs, some of which have distinct differences while others have similarities, it is vital that conservation organizations understand the content of MCA documents and their applicability to specific geographies.
The type of MCA needed for a given project is determined by several factors, such as project goals and the types of implementing actions planned for the project. The Field Guide can help conservation organizations determine if an MCA is a viable strategy to help meet their conservation goals and, if so, what type of MCA (based on the specific terms, conditions, stakeholders and situation) should be used. If MCAs are not a good option, then one or more alternative strategies should be considered.
The different types of MCAs can vary in terms of their prevalence, levels of protection, and levels of surety (see the comparison table below). Some types of MCAs are common while others are rare. Some MCAs achieve full protection while others achieve only minimal protection. And some MCAs provide full surety of protection while others provide minimal surety of protection. The table below, as well as a table that compares various types of MCAs to alternative strategies, can be downloaded by clicking on the thumbnail images to the right.
| Types of MCAs | Private Lands, Resources and Services | Public Lands, Resources and Services | Protection Level | Surety | Examples |
| Acquisitions: Equipment, Boats | Rare | Rare | Partial | Partial | Mexico U.S. California 3 |
| Acquisitions: Harvest Quotas, Permits | Rare | Rare | Partial | Partial | Mexico U.S. California 3 |
| Acquisitions: Fee-simple (Land) | |||||
| — Purchases | Common | Rare | Full | Full | United Kingdom U.S. Massachusetts U.S. Virginia U.S. New York U.S. Washington 2 |
| — Exchanges | Rare | Occasional | Full | Full | Bainbridge Island (pdf, 128k) |
| — Gifts | Occasional | Rare | Full | Full | |
| Acquisitions: Less-than Fee-simple (Land) | |||||
| — Purchases | Occasional | Rare | Partial | Full | United Kingdom |
| — Exchanges | Rare | Rare | Partial | Full | |
| — Gifts | Occasional | Rare | Partial | Full | Fidalgo Bay, U.S. Washington |
| Certifications: Sustainable Harvest | Rare | Occasional | Partial | Minimal | Marine Stewardship Council |
| Partnerships: MOUs/MOAs | Rare | Occasional | Partial | Minimal | |
| Contractual Agreements: Long-term (Leases, Easements, Concessions, Contracts, Licenses, Assents) | Rare | Occasional | Partial | Full | Chile Indonesia 1 Indonesia 2 Kiribati Philippines Tanzania U.S. California 2 U.S. Connecticut U.S. Washington 1 |
| Contractual Agreements: Short-term (Licenses, Rights-of-Entry) | Rare | Occasional | Minimal | Minimal | Ecuador Fiji U.S. California 1 U.S. Rhode Island U.S. Texas |
| Withdrawals From Use | Rare | Occasional | Variable | Minimal | Commencement Bay, U.S. Washington (pdf, 72k) |