#Marine_protected_areas in #Tanzania boosted living standards in nearby communities over a span of nearly 20 years, a recent study in Conservation Letters found.
Near #MPAs, living standards improved, and there was a shift away from agricultural work, said study author #Julia_Girard, a Ph.D. student in #environmental_economics at the #University_of_Montpellier, France.
How marine reserves fare in conservation and community development is an important question for Tanzania, where 20% of the population is heavily dependent on #fisheries for #food and #income.
The country established five multiuse MPAs in the 1990s, which allow fishing with additional rules designed to promote sustainability. Scientists have identified MPAs where regulated fishing activity is permitted as powerful tools to help Tanzania and other nations protect 30% of their #oceans by 2030 without denying fishers their livelihoods.
To see how these MPAs have impacted local development, the research team surveyed 840 households in 24 #villages in 2021, asking questions about employment, fishing history, standard of living, and perceptions about the marine reserves. They then compared the data with the results of a similar survey conducted in 2003. This is one of just a few studies documenting the #long-term_impacts of #multiuse_MPAs on #local_development.
