Marine Conservation Agreements in
the Coral Triangle

Workshop participants. Photo © Jay Udelhoven/TNC

Purpose

In 2009, The Nature Conservancy invited government and nongovernment staff involved with ocean and coastal management and conservation in Indonesia to participate in a workshop to discuss Marine Conservation Agreements (MCAs) and their potential use in the Coral Triangle.

Background

Private for-profit ventures often use marine and coastal areas for purposes that degrade ocean resources. Such ventures include various fishing activities, sand and gravel mining, energy facilities, marinas, utility lines, aquaculture, and cruise lines. Recently conservation organizations around the world have sought similar opportunities to manage ocean and coastal areas through MCAs in ways that instead protect resources and promote the sustainable development of local communities.

Marine Conservation Agreements

MCAs include any formal or informal understanding between two or more parties in which the parties obligate themselves, for an exchange of benefits, to take or refrain from certain actions to achieve agreed-upon ocean or coastal conservation goals. MCAs can be entered into by governments, local communities, indigenous groups, and private parties. MCAs can include, but are not limited to, leases, easements, management agreements, concessions, and contracts.

Project Overview

While MCAs can play complementary roles to traditional MPAs and fisheries management, their use globally has been limited. With funding provided by the Walton Family Foundation, The Nature Conservancy is addressing this limitation by working with our partners to analyze the role and feasibility of MCAs in four priority geographies: the Coral Triangle, Eastern Tropical Pacific, Gulf of California, and Gulf of Mexico.

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