Determining Marine Protected Area Zoning Under Multiple Objectives: Do Marine Managers’ Priorities Align?

Globally, marine protected areas (MPAs) have been designated with the aim of protecting marine biodiversity, primarily from extractive activities such as fishing. Most MPAs also include a range of zones with different fishing or other activities allowed in each, generally referred to as partially protected areas (PPAs). How these zones are implemented is often subject to disagreement between the impacted interest groups. Opposition to zoning may, in some cases, be the result of political lobbying or other interventions to stall or influence the process. In this study, we identify the key objectives considered by Australian MPA managers when planning uses in different areas of MPAs as well as their relative importance to decision-making. We also assess their relative importance from the perspective of fisheries managers, who are also responsible for the management of the primary users of the PPAs. We apply the modified analytic hierarchy process using data collected in a national survey of both groups. We find that both place the highest importance on achieving ecological objectives, but the importance of different economic and social objectives varies significantly between the groups. This may result in conflict not over the designation of conservation critical areas but over which activities are allowed in the PPAs.