Comparing the Marine Protected Area Network Planning Process in British Columbia, Canada and New Zealand – Planning for cooperative partnerships with Indigenous communities

Abstract

Marine Protected Area (MPA) network planning is increasingly used to amplify the effectiveness of individual protected area sites through ecological connectivity, redundancy and replication of protected habitats. Bioregional MPA network planning has been undertaken in Canada and in New Zealand nearly concurrently and offers an opportunity to compare these two jurisdictions and processes as they advance toward implementation of the MPA networks. Governance and management planning for MPA networks poses several challenges beyond those for individual MPAs. Additionally, some Indigenous communities within the two planning bioregions are also seeking shared-governance and management arrangements for the networks. While systematic approaches have been undertaken in both countries for the planning and design of regional MPA networks, implementation and management planning cannot occur in isolation from the design, and must similarly reflect both the interactions between individual protected areas, and the full scope of the governance rights, structures, and jurisdiction across the bioregions.