Evaluating the Effectiveness of Very Large Marine Protected Areas at Deterring Fishing Effort

In this paper, we study the extent to which Very Large Marine Protected Areas (VLMPAs) have been successful at deterring fishing effort. The last decade has witnessed a considerable increase in the designation of VLMPAs, Marine Protected Areas spanning at least 100,000 km-squared. On paper, these protected areas offer conservation benefits not seen in smaller ones. Yet, their large sizes may constitute a challenge for enforcement. Using on satellite-based data that tracks vessel fishing hours, we find evidence that VLMPAs have, on average, been able to deter fishing effort, although a case-by-case analysis reveals varying levels of success. To better understand the nature of possible illegal fishing in these VLMPAs, we investigate the characteristics of the vessels infringing on the fishing bans in these VLMPAs and find that most of the infractions can be traced back to a few industrialized countries.