Interactions of productivity, predation risk, and fishing effort in the efficacy of marine protected areas for the central Pacific

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 1320-1336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J.D. Martell ◽  
Timothy E Essington ◽  
Bob Lessard ◽  
James F Kitchell ◽  
Carl J Walters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Predation Risk ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Catch Statistics

Ecospace biomass-dynamics models for the central North Pacific predict strong space-time variation in abundances of various trophic groups in relation to nutrient-driven patterns in primary production and circulation-driven concentration of production in convergence areas. The model predicts simple patterns in ecosystem organization and abundances along productivity gradients. Predicted patterns are robust to alternative assumptions about how mobile organisms may alter dispersal behavior in relation to local fitness (per capita gain from net food intake minus predation mortality). Large marine protected areas (MPAs) would be needed to rebuild endangered populations and counter impacts of growing fishing effort. We expected that increases in dispersal rate in response to lower food availability and higher predation risk would reduce efficacy of MPAs as a management tool. Instead, simulations indicated that this negative effect may generally be eliminated or even reversed by positive effects of fitness-maximizing behaviors. Interannual variability in ocean circulation can further reduce the efficacy of MPAs; therefore, the dynamic nature of pelagic environments should also be considered in MPA design. Anomalies in ocean circulation may shift productive areas relative to MPA location, resulting in increased fishing mortality and (or) misinterpretation of catch statistics.

scholarly journals From hunters to nature observers: a record of 53 years of diver attitudes towards sharks and rays and marine protected areas

2011 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Whatmough ◽  
Ingrid Van Putten ◽  
Andrew Chin
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Attitudinal Change ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Economic Information ◽  
Perceptions And Attitudes ◽  
Conservation Awareness

Human values, perceptions, attitudes and interactions with the natural environment have been found to change over time, with social and economic information used to inform management decisions and actions. Content analysis is applied here to a 53-year long collection of the popular dive magazine, SportDiving, to identify recreational divers’ experiences with regard to sharks and rays, the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and marine protected areas (MPAs). This analysis suggests there has been a diversification of diver activities with the emergence of passive-observational activities such as SCUBA diving. Attitudes towards sharks and rays have changed significantly, with recreational divers changing from a group that could be described as adventure-seeking hunters to a group that can be described as nature-appreciating observers, suggesting an increase in conservation awareness. The GBR continues to be a highly regarded dive destination, with divers perceiving positive effects of protection within MPAs. However, declines in the abundance of large fish and sharks and rays were occasionally reported throughout the 53 year period. Collectively, these types of data can show changes in resource-use patterns, perceptions and attitudes and provide information that supplements scientific monitoring data. These data may be valuable where scientific data is scarce, historical records difficult to obtain, and where attitudinal change can significantly affect future resource use.

scholarly journals Lack of recreational fishing compliance may compromise effectiveness of Rockfish Conservation Areas in British Columbia

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana Haggarty ◽  
Steve J.D. Martell ◽  
Jonathan B. Shurin
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Area Ratio ◽  
Recreational Fishing ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Ecological Recovery ◽  
Recovery Education

Compliance with spatial fishing regulations (e.g., marine protected areas, fishing closures) is one of the most important, yet rarely measured, determinants of ecological recovery. We used aerial observations of recreational fishing events from creel surveys before, during, and after 77 Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs) were established in British Columbia, Canada. There was no evidence of a change in fishing effort in 83% of the RCAs, and effort in five RCAs increased after establishment. Fishing effort in open areas adjacent to the RCAs declined with time and was higher than effort in the RCAs in all 3 years. Next, we used compliance data for 105 RCAs around Vancouver Island to model the drivers of compliance. Compliance was related to the level of fishing effort around the RCA, the size and perimeter-to-area ratio of RCAs, proximity to fishing lodges, and the level of enforcement. Noncompliance in RCAs may be hampering their effectiveness and impeding rockfish recovery. Education and enforcement efforts to reduce fishing effort inside protected areas are critical to the recovery of depleted fish stocks.

scholarly journals Evidence that spillover from Marine Protected Areas benefits the spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) fishery in southern California

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hunter S. Lenihan ◽  
Jordan P. Gallagher ◽  
Joseph R. Peters ◽  
Adrian C. Stier ◽  
Jennifer K. K. Hofmeister ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Spiny Lobster ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Fishing Ground ◽  
Catch Per Unit Effort ◽  
Panulirus Interruptus ◽  
The Status ◽  
Larval Production ◽  
And Behavior

AbstractMarine Protected Areas (MPAs) are designed to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services. Some MPAs are also established to benefit fisheries through increased egg and larval production, or the spillover of mobile juveniles and adults. Whether spillover influences fishery landings depend on the population status and movement patterns of target species both inside and outside of MPAs, as well as the status of the fishery and behavior of the fleet. We tested whether an increase in the lobster population inside two newly established MPAs influenced local catch, fishing effort, and catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) within the sustainable California spiny lobster fishery. We found greater build-up of lobsters within MPAs relative to unprotected areas, and greater increases in fishing effort and total lobster catch, but not CPUE, in fishing zones containing MPAs vs. those without MPAs. Our results show that a 35% reduction in fishing area resulting from MPA designation was compensated for by a 225% increase in total catch after 6-years, thus indicating at a local scale that the trade-off of fishing ground for no-fishing zones benefitted the fishery.

scholarly journals Marine nature conservation and conflicts with fisheries

AMBIO ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 1328-1340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kjell Grip ◽  
Sven Blomqvist
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Spatial Planning ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Marine Spatial Planning ◽  
Management Tools

AbstractGlobally, conflicts between marine nature conservation and fishery interests are common and increasing, and there is often a glaring lack of dialogue between stakeholders representing these two interests. There is a need for a stronger and enforced coordination between fishing and conservation authorities when establishing marine protected areas for conservation purposes. We propose that an appropriate instrument for such coordination is a broad ecosystem-based marine spatial planning procedure, representing neither nature conservation nor fishery. Strategic environmental assessment for plans and programmes and environmental impact assessment for projects are commonly used tools for assessing the environmental impacts of different human activities, but are seldom used for evaluating the environmental effects of capture fisheries. The diversity of fisheries and the drastic effects of some fisheries on the environment are strong arguments for introducing these procedures as valuable supplements to existing fisheries assessment and management tools and able to provide relevant environmental information for an overall marine spatial planning process. Marine protected areas for nature conservation and for protection of fisheries have different objectives. Therefore, the legal procedure when establishing marine protected areas should depend on whether they are established for nature conservation purposes or as a fisheries resource management tool. Fishing in a marine protected area for conservation purpose should be regulated according to conservation law. Also, we argue that marine protected areas for conservation purposes, in the highest protection category, should primarily be established as fully protected marine national parks and marine reserves.

scholarly journals Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as a Fisheries Management Tool for the Nassau Grouper (Epinephelus striatus) in Belize

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa S. Beneditti
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Commercial Fish ◽  
Nassau Grouper ◽  
Aggregation Site ◽  
Epinephelus Striatus ◽  
Mpa Network

The Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus, was once an important commercial fish species in the Caribbean, but is now considered commercially extinct throughout its range. Protection measures have included protection of adults via seasonal closures and spawning aggregation site reserves (SASRs). Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a promising fisheries management tool being used increasingly worldwide but are not specifically directed at the conservation of Nassau grouper. This thesis uses Belize as a case study location to determine how the established MPA network may contribute towards its protection. It was found that the Belize MPA network as a system may not contribute greatly, however, on an individual basis some MPAs contribute more to protection than others. Those MPAs which have characteristics most suitable for this species are Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes, Sapodilla Cayes, Bacalar Chico, Glovers Reef, Hol Chan, and South Water Caye Marine Reserves.

scholarly journals Taking home-ranges into account for Mediterranean MPAs could offer increased recovery benefits

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
OCTO
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Home Ranges

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a common fisheries management tool that relies on the assumption that species protected within a spatially-explicit area are allowed to recover and later “spill over” the boundaries of the MPA where they may be harvested. By fully protecting an MPA, species inside will grow and reproduce a steady supply of “spilled over” fish to be harvested. But how large of an area should you protect at a minimum to offer this benefit?

scholarly journals Causes of Mortality for Endangered Antillean Manatees in Cuba

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anmari Alvarez-Alemán ◽  
Eddy García Alfonso ◽  
James A. Powell ◽  
Charles A. Jacoby ◽  
James D. Austin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Fishing Gear ◽  
Illegal Hunting ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Causes Of Mortality ◽  
Antillean Manatees ◽  
Causes Of Deaths

The Antillean manatee is categorized as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature primarily due to its low abundance. Further declines in abundance are expected due to a group of human related threats that include illegal hunting, fatal interactions with fishing gear, increasing watercraft traffic, and pollution. The nature of current threats is not well described for every critical population of manatees. In particular, threats to manatees have not been documented or evaluated in a systematic manner in coastal waters surrounding Cuba, which is a major reason why plans specifically addressing conservation of manatees in Cuba have not been implemented. To address this lack of information, we assessed patterns in various threats by reviewing reports of stranded (alive or dead) and captured manatees, with some reports being historical and others consistently available since 2001. For 94% of the contemporary cases, carcasses of dead animals were reported; the remainder (6%) involved live manatees and subsequent efforts to rescue and rehabilitate them. Documented causes of mortality included poaching (38%), entanglement in fishing gear (10%), deaths of dependent calves (2.5%), and boat collisions (2.5%). The cause of death for the remaining 47% of reports could not be determined. Mortalities were highest in areas with intensive commercial fishing effort, and mortalities in marine protected areas indicated a need for improved management. These initial findings provide the first estimates of the magnitude of mortality of manatees in Cuba and yield valuable insights into the causes of deaths. The existence of intense and poorly regulated fishing in certain areas, including protected areas, represents a potentially significant threat to manatees. The effects and management of this activity, especially in habitats that are critical for manatees, merit further attention.

scholarly journals MARINE CAPTURE FISHERIES POLICY FORMULATION AND THE ROLE OF MARINE PROTECTED AREAS AS TOOL FOR FISHERIES MANAGEMENT IN INDONESIA

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 33-45
Author(s):  
D. G.R. Wiadnya ◽  
P. J. Mous ◽  
R. Djohani ◽  
M. V. Erdmann ◽  
A. Halim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Maximum Sustainable Yield ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Fisheries Policy

The FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries states that conservation and management decisions for fisheries should be based on the best scientific evidence available. Studies show that most of Indonesia's capture fisheries are either full or over-exploited. However, the fishery sector is still expected to contribute to the increase of Indonesia's GNP through an increase in total catches. Furthermore, the current practice of using catch-effort data and Maximum Sustainable Yield models to inform Indonesia’s fisheries policies is flawed, putting sustainability and long-term profitability of Indonesia's fisheries at risk. In this paper, the authors argue that to ensure the survival of Indonesia's fish stocks and fisheries: fisheries policy must shift from development-oriented management towards management for sustainability. Furthermore, fisheries managers must accept that 'untapped resources' may not exist or cannot be exploited profitably, and that any transfer of fishing effort between fishing grounds may contribute to collapse of local fisheries. Also, fisheries managers should change the management paradigm from MSY models to eco-system based management, wherein Marine Protected Areas should play an important role.

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