Our Ocean Conference 2016: Ensuring Effective Enforcement of Marine Protected Areas
![Legal Tools for Strengthening Marine Protected Area Enforcement Legal Tools for Strengthening Marine Protected Area Enforcement](/sites/default/files/styles/max_325x325/public/images/blog/legal-tools-strengthening-mpa-enforcement.png?itok=ZGgz8fxr)
At the 2016 Our Ocean Conference, nearly 20 countries announced the creation of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) or the expansion of existing ones. This is an important step in the right direction, but creating new MPAs will not make a significant difference if new and old MPAs are not effectively enforced. Through the release of its report, Legal Tools for Strengthening Marine Protected Area Enforcement: A Handbook for Developing Nations, the Environmental Law Institute’s (ELI’s) Ocean Program is playing its part to assist countries in ensuring that MPAs are effectively implemented and enforced, delivering positive conservation outcomes.