Marine protection stringency
This indicator estimates the stringency of marine protected areas (MPAs) by comparing total fishing effort intensity (fishing hours per km2) on a given year inside versus outside MPAs within a country's maritime zone(s). A score of 100 indicates that fishing efforts inside a country's MPAs is 1% or less than the fishing effort outside MPAs, and a score of 0 indicates that fishing effort inside MPAs is at least twice as intense as outside. Fishing effort data, from Global Fishing Watch, is based on satellite tracking of fishing boats.
NB: Landlocked countries are not scored on this indicator. Weight assigned to this indicator is reapportioned to other indicators within the Biodiversity & Habitat issue category.
EPI MeasureMPA Effectiveness
Click on a country name to see that country's full results table
| Country | Rank | EPI Score | 10-Year Change | Regional Rank | Regional Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belize | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 54.97 |
| Comoros | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 47.19 |
| Dominican Republic | 1 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 1 | 54.97 |
| El Salvador | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 54.97 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 1 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 1 | 47.19 |
| Gambia | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 47.19 |
| Guatemala | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 54.97 |
| Guinea | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 47.19 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 47.19 |
| Jamaica | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 54.97 |
| Liberia | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 47.19 |
| Mauritania | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 47.19 |
| Myanmar | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 43.16 |
| Nicaragua | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 54.97 |
| Papua New Guinea | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 43.16 |
| Saint Lucia | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 54.97 |
| Sudan | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 37.67 |
| Suriname | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 54.97 |
| São Tomé & Príncipe | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 47.19 |
| Timor-Leste | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 43.16 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 54.97 |
| Tunisia | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 37.67 |
| Vanuatu | 1 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 43.16 |
| Solomon Islands | 24 | 95.94 | -4.06 | 5 | 43.16 |
| Chile | 25 | 91.25 | -8.75 | 10 | 54.97 |
| Fiji | 26 | 86.73 | -13.27 | 6 | 43.16 |
| New Zealand | 27 | 84.88 | -14.01 | 1 | 20.07 |
| Russia | 28 | 84.12 | 23.61 | 1 | 28.42 |
| Panama | 29 | 75.39 | -24.61 | 11 | 54.97 |
| Argentina | 30 | 75.21 | 18.66 | 12 | 54.97 |
| Barbados | 31 | 72.04 | -27.96 | 13 | 54.97 |
| Iran | 32 | 64.43 | -35.57 | 3 | 37.67 |
| Morocco | 33 | 62.82 | -37.18 | 4 | 37.67 |
| Malaysia | 34 | 61.64 | -38.36 | 7 | 43.16 |
| United States | 35 | 58.94 | 6.8 | 2 | 20.07 |
| United Kingdom | 36 | 57.79 | 32.59 | 3 | 20.07 |
| Indonesia | 37 | 57.15 | -42.85 | 8 | 43.16 |
| Türkiye | 38 | 54.33 | -39.95 | 1 | 21.37 |
| Qatar | 39 | 54.12 | -45.88 | 5 | 37.67 |
| Brazil | 40 | 53.34 | -24.26 | 14 | 54.97 |
| Costa Rica | 41 | 51.42 | -48.58 | 15 | 54.97 |
| Kuwait | 42 | 49.34 | -50.66 | 6 | 37.67 |
| Lithuania | 43 | 48.87 | 37.09 | 2 | 21.37 |
| Taiwan | 44 | 48.67 | -5.81 | 9 | 43.16 |
| India | 45 | 48.23 | -51.77 | 1 | 19.69 |
| South Africa | 46 | 47.73 | 4.47 | 9 | 47.19 |
| Estonia | 47 | 46.62 | 4.37 | 3 | 21.37 |
| Philippines | 48 | 46.15 | -53.85 | 10 | 43.16 |
| Peru | 49 | 45.08 | 40.22 | 16 | 54.97 |
| Israel | 50 | 42.93 | 14.89 | 7 | 37.67 |
| Namibia | 51 | 41.23 | -58.77 | 10 | 47.19 |
| Finland | 52 | 38.91 | 9.02 | 4 | 20.07 |
| Poland | 53 | 35.73 | -7.04 | 4 | 21.37 |
| Canada | 54 | 34.04 | 34.04 | 5 | 20.07 |
| Tanzania | 55 | 32.16 | -67.84 | 11 | 47.19 |
| China | 56 | 31.87 | 7.64 | 11 | 43.16 |
| Albania | 57 | 30.23 | 30.23 | 5 | 21.37 |
| Australia | 58 | 29.37 | 29.37 | 6 | 20.07 |
| United Arab Emirates | 59 | 26.86 | -73.14 | 8 | 37.67 |
| Pakistan | 60 | 25.52 | -74.48 | 2 | 19.69 |
| Kiribati | 61 | 24.12 | 20.2 | 12 | 43.16 |
| Bahamas | 62 | 22.1 | -10.3 | 17 | 54.97 |
| Ireland | 63 | 21.7 | -1.32 | 7 | 20.07 |
| Romania | 64 | 20.89 | 20.89 | 6 | 21.37 |
| Croatia | 65 | 19.81 | -18.49 | 7 | 21.37 |
| Colombia | 66 | 18.71 | -31.46 | 18 | 54.97 |
| Maldives | 67 | 17.95 | -82.05 | 3 | 19.69 |
| France | 68 | 16.67 | -1.02 | 8 | 20.07 |
| Mexico | 69 | 15.76 | 15.76 | 19 | 54.97 |
| Cabo Verde | 70 | 15.53 | -9.23 | 12 | 47.19 |
| Norway | 71 | 14.3 | 8.0 | 9 | 20.07 |
| Grenada | 72 | 14.21 | 14.21 | 20 | 54.97 |
| Dominica | 73 | 13.94 | -86.06 | 21 | 54.97 |
| Senegal | 74 | 13.77 | 12.78 | 13 | 47.19 |
| Ecuador | 75 | 13.73 | 13.73 | 22 | 54.97 |
| St. Vincent & the Gren. | 76 | 13.64 | -86.36 | 23 | 54.97 |
| Oman | 77 | 12.66 | -87.34 | 9 | 37.67 |
| Madagascar | 78 | 11.77 | -88.23 | 14 | 47.19 |
| Republic of Congo | 78 | 11.77 | 11.59 | 14 | 47.19 |
| Sweden | 80 | 10.81 | 10.81 | 10 | 20.07 |
| Lebanon | 81 | 9.09 | -90.91 | 10 | 37.67 |
| Uruguay | 82 | 8.5 | -12.55 | 24 | 54.97 |
| Gabon | 83 | 8.03 | 8.03 | 16 | 47.19 |
| Denmark | 84 | 7.22 | 7.22 | 11 | 20.07 |
| Bangladesh | 85 | 6.74 | -93.26 | 4 | 19.69 |
| Thailand | 86 | 6.36 | -93.64 | 13 | 43.16 |
| Egypt | 87 | 5.11 | -94.89 | 11 | 37.67 |
| Sierra Leone | 88 | 4.92 | -42.11 | 17 | 47.19 |
| Seychelles | 89 | 4.18 | -23.53 | 18 | 47.19 |
| Belgium | 90 | 4.07 | -4.06 | 12 | 20.07 |
| South Korea | 91 | 1.93 | 1.93 | 14 | 43.16 |
| Portugal | 92 | 1.85 | -19.73 | 13 | 20.07 |
| Palau | 93 | 1.72 | -2.82 | 15 | 43.16 |
| Ukraine | 94 | 1.15 | -20.21 | 2 | 28.42 |
| Tonga | 95 | 0.96 | -99.04 | 16 | 43.16 |
| Netherlands | 96 | 0.77 | 0.77 | 14 | 20.07 |
| Algeria | 97 | 0.0 | -100.0 | 12 | 37.67 |
| Antigua & Barbuda | 97 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 25 | 54.97 |
| Bahrain | 97 | 0.0 | -100.0 | 12 | 37.67 |
| Bulgaria | 97 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8 | 21.37 |
| Cambodia | 97 | 0.0 | -100.0 | 17 | 43.16 |
| Cyprus | 97 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8 | 21.37 |
| Georgia | 97 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 28.42 |
| Germany | 97 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 15 | 20.07 |
| Greece | 97 | 0.0 | -0.59 | 8 | 21.37 |
| Honduras | 97 | 0.0 | -3.75 | 25 | 54.97 |
| Iceland | 97 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 15 | 20.07 |
| Italy | 97 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 15 | 20.07 |
| Japan | 97 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 17 | 43.16 |
| Kenya | 97 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 19 | 47.19 |
| Latvia | 97 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8 | 21.37 |
| Malta | 97 | 0.0 | -10.17 | 15 | 20.07 |
| Mauritius | 97 | 0.0 | -0.58 | 19 | 47.19 |
| Montenegro | 97 | 0.0 | -100.0 | 8 | 21.37 |
| Mozambique | 97 | 0.0 | -15.5 | 19 | 47.19 |
| Saint Kitts & Nevis | 97 | 0.0 | -100.0 | 25 | 54.97 |
| Samoa | 97 | 0.0 | -100.0 | 17 | 43.16 |
| Saudi Arabia | 97 | 0.0 | -100.0 | 12 | 37.67 |
| Spain | 97 | 0.0 | -0.16 | 15 | 20.07 |
| Sri Lanka | 97 | 0.0 | -100.0 | 5 | 19.69 |
| Viet Nam | 97 | 0.0 | -100.0 | 17 | 43.16 |
| Environmental Performance Index 2026 | EPI Measurement | MPA Effectiveness | |||