The removal of predators (through overfishing) is one of the foremost hypotheses to explain the incidence and severity of crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) population outbreaks. The ecological links between marine park zoning, predator densities and predation rates on CoTS remain largely unresolved but could have major bearing on deciding appropriate management responses. Here, we deployed standardised predation assays to quantify rates of in situ predation on adult CoTS at reefs within different fisheries management zones in the central and northern Great Barrier Reef, including reefs where fishing is prohibited (‘green’ zones), restricted (‘yellow’ zones) and permitted (‘blue’ zones). Most of the predation events recorded, using time-lapse photography, could be ascribed to two predatory fishes, Lethrinus nebulosus and Arothron stellatus. Importantly, predation rates were more than threefold higher in ‘green’ (no-take) zones compared to ‘blue’ (fished) zones, which corresponded with observed differences in the local abundance of key predatory fishes. The contrasting predation rates and predator abundances in protected versus fished zones represent a critical step to explain and model spatial heterogeneity in CoTS abundance. Moreover, our results highlight a potential role for fisheries management and marine park zoning in moderating the detrimental effects of this coral predator on Anthropocene coral reefs.