ILOILO CITY—The Philippines hosted the Asia Regional Large-Scale Marine Protected Area (LSMPA) Workshop here to discuss science-based, community-driven strategies for large-scale marine protection.
The 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 at the forum as the world races to protect 30 percent of its oceans by 2030.
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.
The workshop is 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,
“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.
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 percent 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 Naiʻa Lewis, director of Big Ocean.
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 percent of the Philippine waters.
It will potentially make it Asia’s largest single marine protected area, protecting biodiversity while supporting long-term food security.
