Marine protected areas aren't as protected as you think

Earlier this year, ocean conservation advocates celebrated what seemed like a major milestone: 10 percent of the Earth’s oceans had been officially designated as marine protected areas. In theory, this meant that world leaders had successfully implemented varying degrees of fishing restrictions and regulations across a tenth of the oceans’ surface area in an attempt to reduce pressures on ecosystems and help them thrive. It also signaled progress toward a United Nations goal, known as 30×30, to conserve 30 percent of the planet’s land and ocean area by 2030.