Marine protected area
A part of the sea where fishing and other uses are limited or banned so that fish and habitats can recover.
Also: MPA, no-take zone, marine reserve
Marine protected areas range from zones where only some fishing is allowed to no-take reserves where all fishing is banned. Well-enforced no-take reserves often hold larger and more numerous fish, and some fish spill over into nearby waters. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and Papahanaumokuakea in Hawaii are among the largest. India has marine national parks in the Gulf of Mannar and the Gulf of Kutch. Under the 2022 Kunming-Montreal agreement, countries aim to protect 30 per cent of land and sea by 2030.