Protected Areas and OECMs in Japan

We aim to have 30% of the sea areas in Japan will be protected by 2030 as “effective” MPAs and OECMs that fulfill the criteria proposed by us.

Japan has the seventh largest EEZ area and the fourth largest EEZ volume in the world. Sea areas surrounding Japan where cold and warm currents collide and include from coral reefs to drift ice, have abundant fisheries resources and biodiversity.　And 13.3% of Japanese sea areas are designated as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

However, the actual condition of  the existing MPAs, those areas are not set directly for the purpose of biodiversity conservation. Instead, they are set for the purpose of protecting natural landscapes, protecting natural environments and habitat, and protecting and propagating aquatic organisms, etc. Therefore, there are issues such as lack of monitoring and assessment of the effects on biodiversity conservation.

In addition to making policy recommendations to the Japanese government, we would like to promote social integration of the concept of biodiversity conservation in marine areas by promoting understanding and gaining the endorsement of stakeholders including fishermen and citizens, as well as Diet members, through our efforts in model areas.

photo：Coral monitoring survey_(C)NACS-J