Defining the Zoning Scheme
The first step to defining a zoning scheme is to evaluate the current situation:
• Does the management plan establish a zoning scheme? Is it adequate?
• Can existing or potential negative visitor impacts be eliminated via good zoning?
• Can existing or potential visitor use conflicts be eliminated via good zoning?
If the preexisting zoning scheme does not adequately meet the needs for sustainable tourism
development, then changes in the zoning scheme will be needed.
If a marine protected area’s conservation management objectives can continue to be met
following the establishment of a proposed visitor site, or if the visitor site’s negative impact is
outweighed by the benefits it will generate, then it will generally be feasible to overlay preexisting
zones with a visitor or public use zone. If conservation management objectives are threatened by
establishing a visitor use zone (e.g., if the nesting or feeding area of a rare bird species would be
disrupted), then some potentially attractive sites should not be established.