As the world races to protect 30% of its oceans by 2030, the Philippines hosted the Asia Regional Large-Scale Marine Protected Area (LSMPA) Workshop in Iloilo City, where Zoological Society of London – Philippines (ZSL), in partnership with the Blue Nature Alliance (Alliance), and regional partners from the government, academe, and non-governmental organizations, recently gathered to discuss science-based, community-driven strategies for large-scale marine protection.
Co-hosted by Big Ocean, a peer-learning network designed by and for managers of large-scale marine areas, with technical and financial support from the Alliance, a global partnership aiming to conserve 18 million square kilometers of ocean, the two-day workshop gathered representatives from the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Maldives, Vietnam, and the Solomon Islands to exchange insights on challenges and opportunities in ocean protection at scale, from policy gaps and governance issues to climate impacts, illegal fishing, and transboundary protection.
“With the highest nearshore marine biodiversity in the world, Asia has long been at the forefront of coastal protection,” said Laure Katz, Executive Director of the Alliance. Building on this leadership, the workshop addressed the urgency to extend marine protection to areas beyond 12 nautical miles through advancing science-policy-community interrelationships, preparing the foundations for an Asia Regional LSMPA Community of Practice, and developing a roadmap for large-scale marine protection.
Advancing Regional Collaboration in Conservation
The workshop underscores ZSL Philippines’ leadership in science-based conservation and demonstrates how multi-sector, multi-country collaboration, supported by BNA, can accelerate progress toward the 30×30 target.
The Alliance believes that partnership is key to advancing ocean conservation. “The Blue Nature Alliance is working with over 130 partners globally to advance ocean conservation in 5% of the world’s ocean as a significant contribution to the global 30×30 goal,” said Katz.
Participants collectively agreed that the main pressures on Asia’s marine ecosystems are pollution and climate change, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, sea-level rise, and habitat destruction.
They also emphasized key recommendations, including aligning marine conservation with food security objectives, developing long-term and equitable financing mechanisms with government support, harmonizing ocean-related policies for easier adoption, and enhancing public participation in conservation. These efforts showcase Asia’s ingenuity in building a strong foundation for marine protection.
“The potential for Asia is huge. It can be a trailblazer, creating a ‘Big Ocean 2.0,’ leading the second wave of large-scale protection, and showing the world that fisheries, food security, and conservation can be addressed together,” said NaiÊ»a Lewis, Director of Big Ocean.
Philippine Rise: One of Asia’s Most Ambitious Conservation Efforts
The proposed Philippine Rise Ocean Conservation Area, implemented by ZSL, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Fisheries Management Area 1, and the Alliance, would span approximately 150,000 square kilometers or 7.5% of the Philippine waters, potentially making it Asia’s largest single marine protected area protecting biodiversity while supporting long-term food security.
“The thinking around marine protected areas has long been at a much smaller scale,” said Edwina Garchitorena, Country Director of ZSL Philippines. “We know the challenges remain from community understanding to governance alignment, but we also know the impact will be there. We are committed to helping make this shift happen.”
“The movement for large-scale protection with comprehensive solutions both nearshore and offshore has started in Asia with governments, particularly in the Philippines and Indonesia, taking bold steps in turning commitments into action,” added Katz.
Toward a Collective Path for Ocean Protection
The workshop showed that large-scale marine protection is increasingly feasible when grounded in science, policy, community participation, and global collaboration. “The Asia Regional LSMPA Workshop is the beginning of a meaningful journey to inspire bold action for marine protection for the benefit of people and nature,” shared Katz.
ZSL, together with the Alliance, Big Ocean, and regional partners, will continue advancing efforts to strengthen large-scale marine governance and mobilize collective action toward the achievement of the global 30×30 ocean protection target.
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