Why is there fishing in an area marked as an MPA?

Some marine protected areas restrict only certain types of fishing (e.g. trawl fishing) but allow other types of fishing. Some fishing vessels also use multiple different gear types for fishing, which may lead to differences in how fishing is represented in the map for this vessel.

Some marine protected areas are at varying stages of designation and implementation, meaning fishing may be yet to be restricted at the time range you are viewing.

Visit the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) website for more information.