AYETA EMUOBONUVIE GRACE

INTEGRATED COSTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT (ACECoR)

ASSIGNMENT: Compare and contrast the MPA strategy of France 2015 and the MPA
strategy of Ghana, 2018.

Protected areas are well defined geographical areas that are recognized, dedicated and managed
through legal or other effective means to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with
associated eco-system services and cultural values (IUCN, 2008). In establishing and managing
MPAs, strategic steps and plans are required. These include setting the objectives for the MPA
establishment, collection, analysis and review of data, stakeholders’ consultations, selecting
candidate site to be protected, obtaining approval for the MPA/gazetting it, establishing
management plans for the MPA, etc.

In the MPA strategy of France and Ghana, the following similarities were observed.

1. Both strategies were based on research findings. This included the collection, analysis and
review of data/literatures.
2. Both strategies encouraged the development of partnership among various stakeholders.
3. Specific objectives were set for the establishment of MPAs in both strategies.

4. In the selection of the MPA sites in both strategies, representativeness (sites that included
an adequate share of marine biodiversity, presence of species or populations of special
interest, functional areas such as spawning sites etc.) and connectivity with other sites of
ecological significance were common criteria considered.
5. In both strategies, the MPAs were legally supported by international, national and local
policies.

The following dissimilarities were observed in the MPA strategy of France and Ghana.
1. Each category of MPA in the France strategy had a legally binding objective. For example,
some of the MPAs such as National Parks and Marine Nature Parks were legally bond with
the objective of providing a good environment for heritage or rare and endangered species,
render key ecological functions such as providing spawning grounds, as well ensure
sustainable exploitation of resources, amongst others while some MPAs e.g. Biotope
 Protection Areas and Marine Natura 2000 Site were only legally bond with the objective
of providing a good environment for heritage or rare and endangered species. Such clear
expectations (legally binding objectives) where not stated for each of the three categories
of MPAs in the Ghana Strategy. This could negatively affect the outcome of the three MPA
categories in Ghana.
2. The MPAs in France were specifically managed using the Marine Strategy Framework
Directive (MSFD) and the integrated maritime policy while the management of coastal
MPAs were more coherent with land-based protection and planning strategies. Whereas in
the Ghana MPA strategy, there was no clear delineation of roles between the Fishery
Commission, Wildlife Commission, Environmental Protection Agency and the Ghana
Maritime Authority.
3. The France strategy included the replication of habitats and functional areas within their
MPA network as one of the criteria in choosing their MPA sites to avoid the protection of
a given habitat from falling solely under the protection of a single zone, such that in the
event of a localized disaster, such a habitat would not be completely lost. This was not
considered in the Ghana strategy.
4. Priority actions were set for the different geographical areas in the France MPA network.
Setting those priority actions would ensure that the specific needs of each geographical
area is met. This was not done the Ghana MPA network.
5. In the France MPA strategy, there was a room to superpose several MPA categories within
an area e.g. having two or more Natural Reserve within a large Marine Nature Park in order
to have higher protection within certain areas of the park. The room for such juxtaposition
was not provided in the Ghana Strategy.
6. The co-management by local communities in the near shore Biodiversity Protected Areas
in the Ghana strategy was innovative. Co-management by local communities was not used
in France strategy.

REFERENCES
IUCN (2008). Guidelines for Applying Protected Area Management Categories.