Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has been internationally branded as a major threat to oceans. Frequently depicted as having profound societal impacts and operational synergies with other forms of criminal activities, which justify the need for a so‐called global fight against...

The European Union (EU) Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 sets the target for protected areas in the EU at 30% of its sea area, one third of which needs to be strictly protected. While there is growing interest in studying the progress of ocean protection, there is a need for an overview of the...

In total, nine case studies in the Baltic Sea, North Sea, Atlantic EU Western Waters and some outermost regions (Madeira and Canary Islands) were selected to gather more information on the response of the fishing activities to MPA designation and implementation. The selection of case studies is...

The datasets gathered and the information extracted for this study provide for the first time a comprehensive picture of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the European Union (EU) countries of the Mediterranean and Black Sea, and of the fishing activities that take place within and around them....

The expansion of marine protected areas (MPAs) is a core focus of global conservation efforts, with the "30x30" initiative to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 serving as a prominent example of this trend. This paper examines a series of proposed MPA network expansions of various sizes and...

Fifteen case studies in the Baltic Sea, North Sea, EU Atlantic Western Waters and some outermost regions (focusing on the Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands) were selected to gather insights into potential spillover effects of different types of marine protected areas (MPAs). The majority of the...