4 Things To Do During Summer Vacation

camping

Summer is a great time to relax and enjoy the warm weather. However, it can also be a time when the kids are out of school and looking for something to do. Here are a few things to do during the summer to keep the kids entertained:

Hike

Hiking is a great way to get out of the house, away from your computer and phone, and into nature. It’s also an excellent way to exercise, improve your health, explore new places and make friends.

Hiking isn’t just for mountain climbers or experienced hikers. Anyone can enjoy hiking—all you need are some water, snacks, and good shoes (and maybe sunscreen).

The best part about hiking? You can do it almost anywhere and with anyone. It’s a great way to teach your children about nature and get them out of the house. In addition, it can be a great bonding experience.

Camping

Take your children camping. Camping is a great way to return to nature and spend quality time with your kids. Not only will you get a chance to see new sights and sounds, but there’s also an opportunity for bonding over campfires and outdoor activities like hiking or swimming in lakes or rivers.

Camping can keep your children entertained, learning about nature, and learning some life skills while bonding with your children. You’ll get to explore nature, build fires, cook delicious food, tell scary stories around the campfire, and spend quality time together as a family. It’s a great way to get in touch with what matters most: your family.

Build A Fort 

 If you don’t have a fort in your garden, this is the perfect time to build one. You can use pillows and blankets to build the walls and then find some old sheets to cover them. If you want to make it extra special, try making it a secret hideout for you and your friends by hiding the entrance under a bush or something else that will camouflage it.

If you don’t have much room in your garden, why not try building one in the living room? Just be careful not to let your parents see it—they probably won’t be too happy about it.

Make a science project.

You can do a science project. You don’t need a lot of experience with it. For example, if you want to know about the history of space travel, you could make a model of the solar system and its planets at different points. If you’re going to learn about how animals adapt to their surroundings, then maybe a poster board depicting various types of animals.

Conclusion

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the long list of things to do with your family this summer. But don’t worry. Just having these few things can help to ensure that you and your family have either a nice quiet summer or a fun summer filled with adventures. And if all fails you can just take them on vacation to the beach.

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company Celebrates Asia and the Dragon Boat Festival

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company
Celebrates Asia and the Dragon Boat Festival
with a performance at the Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture
FREE ADMISSION: Tickets Required
Sunday, June 12, 2022
free dance tickets
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company will be performing in celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival at the Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture on Sunday, June 12, 2022 at 3pm in the Repertory Theater. The family friendly performance is FREE with ticket registration required. For more information and to register, click here or call the Hostos Box Office at (718) 518-4455, open Monday-Friday, 10am – 5pm.
Celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival and more with the world-renowned Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company. Experience spectacular dances, dazzling props, and vibrant costumes in this fantastic performance for the entire family. Dancers will bring you to the rain harbor of Taiwan where children play joyously in the rain, a beautiful southern China tea Garden where the flowers are blooming, and butterflies are floating among the fragrant tea trees. You will also visit the powerful warriors in China’s Forbidden Palace and witness an exciting and colorful Dragon Boat Festival.
“…a thrilling display of artistry…succeeded in delighting persons of all ages.”
– Broadway World
“…like endlessly proliferating forces of cosmic energy…”
– The New York Times
About Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company:
Chen‘s phrases, part exoskeletal rigidity, part boneless grace, embodied an epic dignity.” – Village Voice
Choreographer/Dancer Nai-Ni Chen (1958-2021) was a unique artist whose work crosses many cultural boundaries. Each of her dances reflect her personal vision as an immigrant and an American female artist with deep roots in the Asian culture. From this very personal perspective, she created new works that reflect current issues with global influences. Some of her works were developed in collaboration with renowned artists such as the Ahn Trio, Glen Velez, Joan La Barbara, Jason Kao Hwang, Tao Chen, Tan Dun and the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York.
Bridging the grace of Asian elegance and American dynamism, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is a premier provider of innovative cultural experiences that reflect the inspiring hope and energy of the immigrant’s journey. The company’s ground-breaking works have focused on themes from ancient legends that reflect issues of the present time to purely abstract, contemporary dances influenced by a mix of cultures Nai-Ni Chen experienced in New York. An Asian American company that celebrates cross-cultural experience, the Company’s productions naturally bring forth issues of identity, authenticity, and equality.
The Company has presented at some of the most prestigious concert halls such as the Joyce Theater, Lincoln Center in New York, and the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Florida. The Company appears annually at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Queens College, the College of Staten Island and on Ellis Island. Internationally, the Company has presented at international festivals including Open Look Festival in Russia, the Silesian International Contemporary Dance Festival, the Konfrontations International Festival in Poland, the Chang Mu International Dance Festival in Korea, the Meet in Beijing International Arts Festival in China, and the Tamaulipas International Arts Festival in Mexico.
The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company has received more than 20 awards from the National Endowment for the Arts and numerous Citations of Excellence and grants from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Advancing Dance Education, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is currently in residence in New Jersey City University pioneering a program with the University’s A Harry Moore Laboratory School teaching dance to urban children with disabilities. For additional Company information, visit their website, www.nainichen.org; write to Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, P.O. Box 1121, Fort Lee, NJ 07024; or call (800) 650- 0246.
Programs of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company are made possible by the generous support of our Board members, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, The Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation (MAAF), the New Jersey Cultural Trust, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, The New Jersey Arts and Culture Recovery Fund administered by the Princeton Area Community Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Hyde and Watson Foundation, E.J. Grassman Trust, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, New Music USA, the Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation, Dance/NYC Dance Advancement Fund, the Rapid Response Program of American Dance Abroad, the Association of Performing Arts Presenters’ Cultural Exchange Fund, supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, PSEG, Proskauer, WAC Lighting, and the Glow Foundation and the Dragon and Phoenix Foundation.
About The Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture:
The Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture is celebrating their 34th year of showcasing artists and companies that define excellence in theater, dance and music and embody our mission to be a cultural force in the Bronx and throughout the New York metropolitan area. Their Spring 2022 Season features over 20 performances through June from Hip Hop, Latin Jazz, Salsa, Chamber Music, Theater, to Dance and more.
As a dynamic force dedicated to the cultural and artistic life of the Bronx and New York City, Hostos plays a central role in providing accessible programs that reflect and celebrate the artistic richness and diversity of our communities. Named the “the powerful locus of Latino Art” by The New York Times, Hostos Center is recognized nationally as a leader in Latino/a/x and African-based programming.
The Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture consists of a museum-grade art gallery, a 367-seat Repertory Theater, and a 900-seat Main Theater, presenting artists of national and international renown. It is easily accessible from Manhattan, Queens and New Jersey and is a mere 15 minutes by subway from midtown Manhattan.
Hostos Center events are sponsored by the Hostos Community College Foundation with funds from the: National Endowment for the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the Coalition of Theaters of Color, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathleen Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Howard Gilman Foundation, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the Office of New York State Assemblyman José Rivera, and the Office of New York City Councilmember Rafael Salamanca, Jr.

NAI-NI CHEN DANCE COMPANY Announces “The Bridge”

NAI-NI CHEN DANCE COMPANY
Announces
The Bridge
Virtual Dance Institute
 of Boundary-Breaking Dance Experiences
Free One-Hour Company Classes on Zoom
Open to All Dancers at an Intermediate to Advanced Level
June 1, 2022
 In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company has established a new dance institute through Zoom, The Bridge.  The Institute’s aim is to bring together dancers, choreographers and directors around the world to experience the master teachers of color whose practices are embedded in the community and are focused on advancing the art of dance that transform the personal, environmental and metaphysical spaces. Interested dancers can join the class by registering here.
As a virtual dance institute, The Bridge will invite world renowned as well as up and coming dancers and choreographers to come to guest teach the class. Advanced/Intermediate level professional or pre-professional dancers who are looking to explore beyond their own boundaries and looking for new dance experiences are encouraged to participate. The core program is based on Nai-Ni Chen’s Kinetic Spiral, which is a cross-cultural dance vocabulary that integrates the Chinese martial arts philosophy in TaiChi with contemporary dance practices she studied in America. Guest artists will cover a wide range of folk and classical dance styles.
The Bridge Class schedule are as follows:
Monday, May 30, 2022 | Memorial Day – NO CLASS
Wednesday, June 1, 2022 | Rio Kikuchi (Kinetic Spiral) at 10am
Tapping into the creative energy of the universe through Kinetic Spiral. Nai-Ni Chen‘s signature technique is based on the principle of ever-changing universal forces of Yin and Yang. Dance phrases from Nai-Ni Chen‘s repertory will be taught.
In this trying time of change and uncertainty, the arts are a source of healing and unity, we would like to encourage everyone to support dance as dance is an essential medicine for the society to recover from the pandemic that has caused injury to our bodies and our hearts. Support for The Bridge can be sent through https://www.nainichen.org/donate.
About the Artist:
Born in Tokyo, Japan. At age of 3, Rio Kikuchi began ballet training at Studio Benus in Japan and later she was introduced to Tap and Jazz. She took Summer Intensive at Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington DC in 2015. She also studied Ballet technique and Point work privately with Luis Villanueva. In 2017, Rio moved to New York and was offered Scholarship to study at The School of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In addition, she received a Scholarship at Alonzo King Lines Ballet Summer Program in 2019. She has performed with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater at New York City Center in 2018. A member of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Rio is also a certified Gyrokinesis® instructor.
About Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company:
Chen‘s phrases, part exoskeletal rigidity, part boneless grace, embodied an epic dignity.” – Village Voice
Choreographer/Dancer, Nai-Ni Chen, was a unique artist whose work crosses cultural boundaries. Each of her dances reflect her personal vision as an immigrant and an American female artist with deep roots in the Asian culture. From this very personal perspective, she created new works that reflect current issues with global influences. Some of her works were developed in collaboration with renowned artists such as the Ahn Trio, Glen Velez, Joan La Barbara, and the members of the New Asia Chamber Music Society.
Bridging the grace of Asian elegance and American dynamism, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is a premier provider of innovative cultural experiences that reflect the inspiring hope and energy of the immigrant’s journey. The company’s ground-breaking works have focused on themes from ancient legends that reflect issues of the present time to purely abstract, contemporary dances influenced by a mix of cultures Nai-Ni Chen experienced in New York. An Asian American company that celebrates cross-cultural experience, the Company’s productions naturally bring forth issues of identity, authenticity, and equality.
The Company has presented at some of the most prestigious concert halls such as the Joyce Theater, Lincoln Center in New York, and the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Florida. The Company appears annually at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Queens College, the College of Staten Island and on Ellis Island. Internationally, the Company has presented at international festivals including Open Look Festival in Russia, the Silesian International Contemporary Dance Festival, the Konfrontations International Festival in Poland, the Chang Mu International Dance Festival in Korea, the Meet in Beijing International Arts Festival in China, and the Tamaulipas International Arts Festival in Mexico.
The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company has received more than 20 awards from the National Endowment for the Arts and numerous Citations of Excellence and grants from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Advancing Dance Education, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is currently in residence in New Jersey City University pioneering a program with the University’s A Harry Moore Laboratory School teaching dance to urban children with disabilities. For additional Company information, visit their website, www.nainichen.org; write to Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, P.O. Box 1121, Fort Lee, NJ 07024; or call (800) 650- 0246.

Hallmark Channel Original Premiere of “A Royal Queens Christmas” #CountdownToChristmas

If you are anything like me, you are always up for a Christmas movie. From November to January, that’s pretty much all I’m watching. There is a new Hallmark Christmas movie coming out this Saturday, called  “A Royal Queens Christmas and I hope you decide to watch it. This time, not only is there a movie, but also a twitter party where you can win awesome prizes.

Of course- this being Hallmark, there are 41 new and original movies premiering this year on Hallmark and the Hallmark Mysteries channels.

Premiere Date: Dec. 11, 2021, 8/7c
Original Network: Hallmark Channel
Programming Event: Countdown to Christmas
Lead Actors: Megan Park, Julian Morris
ARoyalQueensChristmas

About “A Royal Queens Christmas”

“Dee Dee works at a well-established bakery in Queens, New York after returning home from a tour of duty in the army. The bakery is commissioned to supply desserts for an international Christmas gala and fundraiser in Manhattan. When she goes to meet with the chef, Dee Dee has a run in with Colin in the lobby, and he knocks over her plate of precious pastries. When she learns Colin plays piano and could play in the local Christmas show, she asks him to help as payback. Dee Dee assumes he works for the hotel but really…he’s a prince!

Colin conceals his identity as he feels at home in the Bayside community among Dee Dee’s family and friends, participating in the neighborhood’s holiday activities. All is going well until his parents, the King and Queen of Exeter, show up in New York with a princess they hope Colin will marry, ruining Colin’s cover story.”

You can learn more about the movie on the Hallmark Channel website.

hallmark movies

You can find and follow Hallmark on these links-

-HMNow- (Hallmark Movies Now service)- https://www.hmnow.com

-Hallmark Movie Checklist App- https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/hallmark-movie-checklist-app

Hallmark Channel Wines– https://hallmarkchannelwines.com

Holiday Cookbook– https://hersheycookbook.hallmarkchannel.com

The Holiday Home Decoration- https://holidayhomedecorationsweepstakes.hallmarkchannel.com/

Very Merry Giveaway- https://verymerrygiveaway.hallmarkchannel.com

win prizes

Make sure you join us on Saturday, Dec. 11th at 8pm/7c for the Twitter party– you can win some great prizes. See you there!

PRIZING: 

(1) “Holiday Happiness” Package includes:

(1) One Hallmark Channel Gift Wrap Package

(1) Hallmark Channel Wines digital gift card (https://hallmarkchannelwines.com/)

(1) Holiday tea tin from Republic of Teas (https://www.republicoftea.com)

NICKELODEON’S SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS UNIVERSE EXPANDS AGAIN, WITH MORE THAN 50 NEW EPISODES @Nickelodeon @SpongeBob @OfficialPatrickStar @NickAnimation @ParamountPlus

NICKELODEON’S SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS UNIVERSE EXPANDS AGAIN,

WITH MORE THAN 50 NEW EPISODES PICKED UP ACROSS

KAMP KORAL: SPONGEBOB’S UNDER YEARS, THE PATRICK STAR SHOW

AND THE ORIGINAL SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS SERIES

Nickelodeon Orders 13 Additional Episodes of The Patrick Star Show

and Adds 13 Episodes to SpongeBob SquarePants Season 13

Paramount+ Renews Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years for Season Two,

and Adds 13 Episodes to Season One

Nickelodeon Orders 13 Additional Episodes of The Patrick Star Show

and Adds 13 Episodes to SpongeBob SquarePants Season 13

Paramount+ Renews Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years for Season Two,

and Adds 13 Episodes to Season One

In a move underscoring the power and success of Nickelodeon’s franchises, the network is expanding its SpongeBob SquarePants universe with 52 episodes across the property’s three series. Nickelodeon has greenlit additional episodes of The Patrick Star Show and season 13 of the original SpongeBob SquarePants series and also, Paramount+ has renewed Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years for a second season and added additional episodes to season one. Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, The Patrick Star Show and SpongeBob SquarePants, which are all currently in production at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank, find the denizens of Bikini Bottom continuing to embark on all-new adventures.

Said Ramsey Naito, President of Nickelodeon Animation, “SpongeBob is the centerpiece of our franchise strategy to expand the worlds of our characters and grow our global reach even further. It’s a property that wins on every platform because the richness of the characters and the comedy intrinsic to the storytelling continue to appeal to so many fans around the world.”

Each of the three series in the SpongeBob SquarePants universe continue to garner sizeable audiences. The Patrick Star Show ranks as the number one animated show across all television with Kids 6-11 year to date. The original SpongeBob SquarePants series remains overall television’s top animated kids’ show, with the SpongeBob SquarePants library on Paramount+ reigning as one of the service’s most-watched titles, as well. Since its March 4 debut, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years has risen to the top as one of Paramount+’s most popular original titles for kids.

The pickup includes the following:

  • The Patrick Star Show (Season 1, 13 additional episodes, Nickelodeon): The second spinoff of the number-one animated series SpongeBob SquarePants follows a younger Patrick Star living at home with his family, where he hosts his own variety show for the neighborhood from his television-turned-bedroom.

  • SpongeBob SquarePants (Season 13, 13 additional episodes, Nickelodeon): Nickelodeon’s longest-running animated series continues the nautical adventures of SpongeBob and his Bikini Bottom friends Patrick, Sandy, Mr. Krabs, Plankton and Squidward, which will explore a variety of situations.

 

  • Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years (Season 1, additional 13 episodes, Season 2, 13 episodes, Paramount+): In the first-ever SpongeBob SquarePants spinoff, the CG-animated prequel follows 10-year-old SpongeBob SquarePants and his pals as they spend their summer building underwater campfires, catching wild jellyfish, and swimming in Lake Yuckymuck at the craziest camp in the kelp forest, Kamp Koral.

Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years features Tom Kenny (SpongeBob), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward), Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy) and Mr. Lawrence (Plankton) reprising their iconic roles. Carlos Alazraqui (The Casagrandes) and Kate Higgins (Blaze and the Monster Machines) join as new characters Nobby and Narlene, narwhal siblings who live in the woods surrounding the camp.

The Patrick Star Show brings together Fagerbakke as the young adult Patrick Star alongside cast members: Tom Wilson (Cecil Star), Cree Summer (Bunny Star), Jill Talley (Squidina Star); and Dana Snyder (GrandPat). Additional cast members include Kenny, Bumpass, Lawrence, Brown and Mr. Lawrence, all who continue to voice their famed role.

Blue Curacao Drinks That Can Add Festivity to Your Life

Who doesn’t enjoy a fun and festive blue cocktail? Drinks made with blue curacao are beautiful to the eye and delicious to drink. Whether you’re spending a summer day by the pool or a romantic evening with a loved one, a dazzling curacao cocktail can elevate the mood and make the event feel more festive.

Curacao liqueur is made from the dried peels of a bitter orange known as laraha. Although the flesh of this fruit is not very palatable, the peels produce pleasantly fragrant oils. The peels are soaked in a solution of alcohol and water and removed once the oils have infused the solution. Spices are then added, and the mixture is cycled through a process that involves several steps, including being heated in a copper still, cooled, diluted, and distilled. In the end, the resulting curacao has a unique and delicious orange-like flavor.

In the final step, a blue colorant is added to give the liqueur the festive and exotic color that immediately makes any drink feel like a celebration. To discover the appeal for yourself, try one of these curacao cocktails for yourself.

Blue Hawaiin

If you enjoy the taste of a pina colada, the chances are good that the blue Hawaiin will become a new staple on your list of favorite cocktails. Fill a tall glass with ice, add equal parts of vodka and blue curacao, mix in coconut syrup and pineapple juice for that pina colada flavor, and garnish with a cherry.

Lotus Flower Martini

While curacao brings some bling to this drink, vodka plays the starring role. Add 1 part vodka, 1/2 part lychee liqueur, 1/3 part blue curacao, and 1/3 part violet liqueur to an ice-filled shaker. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. To make the lotus flower martini even more memorable, add a mint leaf or a couple of edible flowers as garnish.

Lagoon Punch

An easy and beautiful option for summer get-togethers is lagoon punch. Combine a bottle of lychee liqueur, 2 cups of blue curacao, and 1 liter of club soda or seltzer water in a large punch bowl. Add ice and garnish with sliced fruit. As a bonus, this festive punch can be made ahead of time, freeing you up to relax and enjoy the party.

Sparkler

This drink is perfect for the Fourth of July, but it’s also a great choice when you are looking for a refreshing fruity drink. To make a sparkler, fill a glass with ice and add 1 part vodka. Next, create colorful layers by pouring 1/2 part blue curacao slowly down the side of the glass, followed by 2 parts cranberry juice. Then, slowly top with 2 parts lemon-lime soda and allow the drink to settle. Finally, garnish with red fruit or lime wedges.

Blue Dolphin Martini

The blue dolphin martini is a great summertime drink that only requires three ingredients. For two drinks, add 3 parts vodka, 2/3 part blue curacao, and 2/3 part peach schnapps to an ice-filled mixing container. Stir well, and then strain into two chilled martini glasses. The fruity and refreshing flavor of this drink makes it a perfect choice for poolside lounging.

Deep Blue Sea Martini

Another great choice when lounging in the sun is the deep blue sea martini. In addition to being beautiful, this drink offers a mix of tantalizing tropical fruit flavors that puts anyone in a summer state of mind. To make this refreshing drink, fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add 2 ounces vodka, 3/4 ounce blue curacao, 1/2 ounce sour mix, and 1/2 ounce pineapple juice. Shake well and strain into a martini glass.

Blue curacao cocktails can add delicious fruity flavor and a splash of festivity to any drink. Serve a few of these dazzling cocktails at your next event to impress your guests and make your party a memorable one.

Increase Actual and Active Followers with GetInsta

The following is a guest post and does not represent the feelings of Have Sippy Will Travel. 

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Using GetInsta is a pretty basic and basic process. After you download the Instagram followers app and join for free, you’ll be awarded with coins that you can spend to obtain free Instagram followers and likes. It also provides you the option of following other profiles or like things within the app, which can earn you additional coins as your following grows.

GetInsta makes it simple to gain genuine, organic Instagram followers and likes on your posts. Because it does not operate on machines, all of the following and likes come from genuine people.

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Breakthrough Study Shows No-take Marine Reserves Benefit Overfished Reefs

A powerful, long-term study from WCS adds scientific backing for global calls for conserving 30 percent of the world’s ocean. The studied no-take marine protected areas (MPAs) increased the growth of fish populations by 42 percent when fishing was unsustainable in surrounding areas, achieving the benefits of stable and high production of fish populations for fishers, while protecting threatened ecosystems.

  Findings support global “30 by 30” goal of protecting 30 percent of the ocean by 2030

·       Study published in the journal Marine Policy shows a no-take marine protected area (MPA) in Kenya was able to compensate for overfishing by increasing and maintaining the growth rate of fish populations by 42% over 24 years 

·       Study compared two common fisheries management approaches – protected area closures and fishing gear restrictions

·       Gear restrictions provided short-term benefits to fisheries, while no-take MPAs delivered and maintained better long-term fisheries production and yields

·       This study is further evidence of the value of no-take MPAs to achieve benefits for fish, fishers, communities, and ecosystems

·       WCS advocates for all-ocean management to achieve sustainable fisheries, and supports the global call to protect and conserve at least 30 percent of the global ocean by 2030: wcs.org/cbd

The study recorded fish catches for 24-years across a dozen fish landing sites within two counties in Kenya, which allowed scientists to evaluate the long-term impacts of two different fisheries management methods. While one county utilized a no-take MPA covering 30 percent of the fishery, the other focused on gear restrictions and prohibited the use of small-mesh nets.

The differences in outcomes for the fishers and the ecosystems were stark. Per-person daily catches rose 25 times faster near the no-take MPA than in fished areas with gear restrictions, showing that no-take MPAs were far more effective at sustaining stocks of fish than restricting destructive gear.

The study’s lead author Dr. Tim McClanahan, Senior Coral Reef Scientist for WCS said “The no-take area in Mombasa occupied 30 percent of the studied fishing grounds. Fortuitously, this  is the target for protection being proposed for the oceans, which is rarely tested and based on the results of simulation models. The empirical support for the models and the conservation proposal is reassuring along with the unexpected results of  increased production of fish populations that compensated for the lost fishing area. This adds to the evidence that no-take protected areas of sufficient coverage may compensate for the lost fishing grounds, particularly when fisheries are not sustainably fished.”

This new study from WCS represents the longest-ever continuous detailed fish catch record for coral reefs, and reveals patterns that took nearly 20 years to unfold due to the small annual increments of change. The time and resources it takes to complete these empirical studies has long been an impediment to testing the effectiveness of no-take MPAs on fisheries, and is also why simulation models were commonly used. Until this publication, most existing empirical studies were short-term and focused on the catch per fisher rather than the catch per area, which is a critical metric of sustainable yield estimates. Consequently, there is a compelling need to expand long-term studies to better calibrate and test fisheries production models.

This study shows that MPAs where no-take rules are followed can compensate for lost fishing grounds and stocks and therefore help people highly dependent on fish for income and nutritional security that is lost when catches are unsustainable. While gear restrictions did have positive benefits for short periods of time, they did not maximize fisheries production over the long-term. Some combination of closure and gear restrictions are therefore likely needed to achieve the full benefits to both fishers and ecosystems.