Q: Are MPAs a worldwide trend, and is the United States a leader in this trend?

A: You be the judge. Here is a sample of websites from different countries who have establishing or are establishing MPAs.

America Samoa

• Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary was established in 1986.
  http://www.fbnms.nos.noaa.gov/html/intro.html

Australia

• http://www.deh.gov.au/coasts/mpa/index.html
• http://www.deh.gov.au/coasts/mpa/displaced-fishing.html
• July1, 2004 set aside 33% of the Great Barrier Reef as a no-take reserve
  http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/management/zoning/index.html

Bahamas

• http://www.miami.edu/sharklab/aboutbimini_biminimpa.html

Belize

• http://www.holchanbelize.org/
• http://www.laughingbird.org/park1.html
• http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=764

Brunei Darussalam

• http://www.arcbc.org/BISS/MarinePA/brn.htm

Cambodia

• http://www.arcbc.org/BISS/MarinePA/khm.htm

Canada

• http://www.pc.gc.ca/progs/amnc-nmca/plan/index_e.asp
• MPA Fact Sheet
  http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/canwaters-eauxcan/oceans/mpa-zpm/index_e.asp
  http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/canwaters-eauxcan/oceans/mpa-zpm/dmpa_e.asp

Ecuador

• http://www.galapagospark.org/en/home.htm

Guam

• http://www.uog.edu/marinelab/mpa/mparg.html

Indonesia

• http://www.bunaken.or.id/

Italy

• http://www.riservamarinamiramare.it/

Malaysia

• http://www.arcbc.org/BISS/MarinePA/mys.htm

Mauritania

• http://www.mauritania.mr/pnba/

Mexico

• http://www.conanp.gob.mx/

Myanmar

• http://www.arcbc.org/BISS/MarinePA/mmr.htm

New Zealand

• http://www.fish.govt.nz/sustainability/management_strategy/wwf_input_02.htm

Northern Mariana Islands

• http://www.dfw.gov.mp/protected/papfs.htm

Philippines

• http://www.coast.ph/projects.html

Singapore

• http://www.arcbc.org/BISS/MarinePA/sgp.htm

St. Lucia

• http://www.oceansatlas.org/servlet/CDSServlet?status=ND0xOTY5NiY3PWVuJjYxPSomNjU9a29z
• http://www.smma.org.lc/index.html

Tanzania

• http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/africa/
  where/eastern_africa/tanzania/mafia.cfm

Thailand

• http://www.arcbc.org/BISS/MarinePA/tha.htm

United States of America

• http://www.mpa.gov/inventory/atlas/inventory_atlas.html

Vietnam

• http://www.arcbc.org/BISS/MarinePA/vnm.htm

Regional MPAs

High Seas MPA proposal
http://www.iucn.org/themes/marine/pdf/GjerdeBreideHSMPA.pdf

Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape
http://www.conservation.org/xp/news/press_releases/2004/022404.xml

WWF's North-East Atlantic Programme
Established in 1999 in the OSPAR Maritime Area, stretching from Portugal to Finland .
http://www.ngo.grida.no/wwfneap/Projects/MPA.htm

IUCN WCPA-Marine / WWF MPA Management Effectiveness Initiative
Joint effort by the IUCN WCPA and WWF to evaluate MPA effectiveness through the review of 21 pilot project sites.
http://www.effectivempa.noaa.gov/welcome.html

  International Conventions that deal with MPAs

Excellent overview of international conventions
and accords as they relate to MPAs http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/biome/marine/news.htm#cop7

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) WCPA
http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/

IUCN World Parks Congress
http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/wpc2003/index.htm

Convention on Biological Diversity
http://www.biodiv.org/decisions/default.aspx?m=COP-07&id=7765&lg=0