Managed Access with Reserves (MA+R): When is MA+R a potential OECM?
Local approaches to biodiversity protection coupled with community-led, climate-resilient management are vital components of global marine biodiversity protection efforts, given the critical role local communities and municipal governments play in protecting their coastal natural resources. And yet, only 11% of territorial seas are protected to date and their conservation receives just 0.01% of global philanthropy. Local approaches, like Managed Access Areas with Reserves (MA+R), can integrate the needs of local communities by strengthening legal and functional access rights to fisheries resources while contributing to meeting targets in the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, including 30×30. These local approaches also support national commitments, particularly when designated as an Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measure (OECM).
This resource will serve as a tool for implementers and policy makers to understand when certain local approaches, like MA+R, could be considered an OECM if legally designated as such. It will also outline the criteria needed to designate an MA+R area as an OECM in the future. It will further serve as a resource demonstrating the pathway for how local approaches, when designated as OECMs, could collectively significantly contribute towards achieving the global biodiversity targets while meeting the needs of people and nature.