☞The international context shows that many MPAs overall objectives, identified in international Conventions, were not achieved in 2012 and consequently were repeated: “By 2020, at least … 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes” (CBD Strategic Plan 2011-2020, Goal C, Target 11, CBD CoP10, Decision X2, Nagoya 2010). The present document aims to present the results of an analysis of the world literature, draw lessons from learned experiences, and share relevant recommendations with regard to situations experienced in the SRFC zone on the best ways and means to use MPAs as fisheries management tools. Through the future programs of the SRFC and States of the region, the challenges will be the best utilization of the recommendations contained therein in order to, on the one hand, improve the relations between the governances of coastal management, fisheries, and MPAs and, on the other hand, to develop solutions enabling a better integration of the concerns of fisheries in the management of MPAs and of the MPAs in the management of fisheries.. The work, conducted by a group of experts from the University of Brest (UMR Amure) – Agrocampus from Rennes (fisheries) – the IUCN-CEM Fisheries Expert Group coordinated by BRL Engineering and EBCD and supported by many international contributions, has highlighted a series of illustrative examples and case-studies on MPAs in three main documents: ■ A “technical report“ in french representing the State of the Art made up with 4 volumes dealing with “Governance“, “socio-economic and bio-economic modelling“, “bio-ecological and bioecological modelling“, and “Element of Reflection for the SRFC and its partners“ in support to the regional Workshop; ■ The present “Synthesis Report“ ; ■ A ten-page note summarizing the outcomes of the study (www.spcsrp.org). These works as well as the supporting document and thoughts they produced enabled the holding of a regional workshop in December 2011 in Dakar during which the outcomes of the review were presented. Exchanges with several representatives of fisheries and environmental institutions and other stakeholders throughout the subregion (fishermen, funders, scientists, etc.,) led to confirmation of the relevance of the supporting documents of the Workshop and specified further the recommendations presented in this document. ☞Three main questions are asked in this study: ■ Are MPAs tools preferable to conventional fishery management tools when it comes to promoting :(1) the particular protection of certain areas, habitats or, species; (ii) the, allocation of resources; and (iii) the participation of communities in the decision-making process? ■ What lessons have been learned on the effects of MPAs on fishing and on the tools associated to the measurement of these effects? ■ Are there any lessons to be drawn from the international experience on governance of MPAs in relation to fishing that could lead to improvements in management?