MPA are an excellent tool for marine ecosystems conservation. Nevertheless, there are some factors that managers should take into account before designing  MPAs.

- There should be closed zones only allowed to scientific studies.

- MPAs should guarantee that a fair amount of the scuba-diving licenses allowed in their waters are distributed within federations, associations and diving clubs and not only with diving centres with economic interests. Access from land to diving spots should also be guaranteed.

- In those zones where commercial fishing is allowed also recreational fishing modalities that target the same species should be allowed. Notwithstanding, obviously, any specific restrictions required. If not, instead of MPAs, we are creating private reserves for commercial fisheries, like Spanish marine reserves of fishing interest. This ends up in huge rejection upon this managing tools among society.

- All recreational fishing modalities, including spearfishing, should be permitted in those MPA zones where fishing is allowed. Managers should understand that between complete permissiveness and complete ban, there are plenty of managing tools allowed to recreational fisheries (temporal clousures, schedules, bag limits, minimum sizes, species...) that, if applied, at the same time that decrease the ecological impact of the activity, allow that it keeps developing. Moreover, the huge social and economic impact inherent in total ban, disappears. Managers should jointly design those measures with recreational fisheries stakeholders and scientists.

- Any fishing ban in a MPA zone inevitably ends up in a significant effort increase in the surroundings, with ecosystems that will be submitted to a very dangerous extra-pressure.

- MPAs may have a significant impact on maritime activities developed in their waters. It is important that managers understand that good ecosystem management (appropriate control and regulations, adaptive management, transparency...) may end up in similar ecologic outcomes with lower socio-economic impacts.