Debate concerning the relative benefits of marine protected areas (MPAs) for the management of marine resources can often reflect unrecognized differences in the scope, scale and definitions of the objectives being sought by various Government or community bodies. There can also be different opinions on the level of protection required for an area to be considered an ‘MPA’ and functional definitions for both the biological diversity and ecosystems within these areas are often lacking. This paper seeks to outline the relative efficiency and effectiveness of MPAs, especially no-take sanctuary areas, compared to other strategies currently employed to help achieve the main objective of the Western Australian (WA) Fish Resources Management Act (FRMA) 1994, which is “to conserve fish* and protect their environment”. This objective covers the conservation of most of the marine resources of the WA coast, including fish stock management; habitat protection and biodiversity generally out to the 200 m depth contour
