Area with weakly enforced environmental protections
A paper park is an area with designated environmental or conservation protection status, but with little actual implementation of environmental management or protection measures.[1][2] This can stem from process or governance issues, or from weak regulations and lack of enforcement.[3]
A 2020 report by NGO Oceana revealed that many European Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) function as "paper parks," offering minimal real protection. Of the 3,449 Natura 2000 MPAs assessed, 70% faced at least one significant threat, with some sites in the Netherlands and the UK experiencing up to 12 threats. Only 0.07% of the total MPA network was free from any assessed threats, while 86% of the network was impacted by damaging fishing gear.[4]