A new study published in Science claims to show that large-scale marine protected areas (MPAs) boost fish catch rates, even spilling over outside of the MPAs and particularly for migratory species like bigeye tuna, Maui Now reports.

Researchers, including John Lynham from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, analyzed public data funded by the National Science Foundation.

The team found that catch rates increased by 12-18% near MPAs, with the strongest benefits just outside MPA boundaries and in areas previously heavily fished. Bigeye tuna catch rates showed the largest gains, with positive impacts across all tuna species. Notably, MPAs like Mexico's Revillagigedo Islands and Hawaii's Papahanaumokuakea contributed significantly to these increases.

This research supports international conservation goals, such as protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030 and the UN's Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement.

"The economic benefits of conservation largely stay with the nations implementing MPAs," said co-author Juan Carlos Villasenor-Derbez of the University of Miami.

The study underscores the role of well-enforced MPAs in balancing ecological conservation with economic gains for global tuna fisheries, a $40 billion industry.