Investigating the efficacy of a proposed marine protected area for the Endangered humphead wrasse Cheilinus undulatus at a remote island group in Seychelles

The humphead wrasse Cheilinus undulatus is an iconic, ecologically important and Endangered fish species associated with coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. Due to its large size and complex life history characteristics, it is vulnerable to overfishing and has undergone substantial population declines in parts of its range. Knowledge of the species’ movement ecology is currently limited to only 2 previous studies, and very little is known about populations in the western Indian Ocean. The present study aimed to use passive acoustic telemetry to investigate the importance of a remote coral reef to a population of humphead wrasse in the Republic of Seychelles, and subsequently assess the efficacy of a proposed marine protected area at this location for protection of the species. Tagged fish (n = 20) exhibited persistent (>500 d) site fidelity, with low dispersal distances (mean ± SD: 6.44 ± 4.0 km) and restricted core activity spaces (50% Brownian bridge kernel utilization density: 0.91 ± 0.61 km2). Additionally, the study site was home to a group of large (total length 97.9 ± 20.6 cm) and currently unexploited humphead wrasse that showed long-term predictable site fidelity and thus could be vulnerable to over-exploitation. The establishment of a proposed no-take marine protected area at the study site would encompass the core home range area of all tagged humphead wrasse and could effectively conserve this stronghold of Endangered fish to ensure the persistence of the species in Seychelles waters.

Download Full-text

Case Note: The interface between customary rights and environmental legislation: Lessons from Gongqose & Others vs Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries & Others (SCA) 2018

The South African Journal of Environmental Law and Policy ◽

10.47348/sajelp/v26/a5 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 ◽

pp. 134-160

Author(s):

Alexander Paterson

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Natural Resources ◽

Protected Area ◽

Marine Protected Area ◽

Customary Law ◽

Constitutional Court ◽

Eastern Cape ◽

Customary Rights ◽

The Republic ◽

Law And Legislation

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, recognises customary law as an independent and original source of law, subject to the Constitution itself and legislation that specifically deals with customary law. As recognised by the Constitutional Court in Alexkor Ltd vs the Richtersveld Community (2004), customary law, as an independent source of law, may give rise to rights including rights to access and use natural resources. Rights to access and use natural resources are often comprehensively regulated by legislation. Conflicts between customary law and legislation relevant to natural resources may arise, as evidenced in the case of Mr Gongqose, who along with several other community members were caught fishing in the Dwesa-Cwebe Marine Protected Area situated off the Eastern Cape coastline. Notwithstanding their claims to be exercising their customary rights to fish in the area, they were convicted in the Magistrate’s Court for certain offences in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act (1998), under which the marine protected area had been established. Their appeal to the High Court proved unsuccessful and the Supreme Court of Appeal was tasked with considering the relationship between their customary rights to fish and legislation purportedly extinguishing these rights. The SCA’s judgment in Gongqose & Others vs Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries & Others (2018) is the first of its kind in South Africa to consider the extinguishment of customary rights to access and use natural resources through post-constitutional legislation. This note critically considers the guidance the SCA provided on proving the existence of customary rights to access and use natural resources, and the manner in which they may be extinguished through legislation. While the focus is on marine living resources, the lessons emerging from this case are relevant to other natural resource sectors.

Download Full-text

Home range, habitat use, and site fidelity of barred sand bass within a southern California marine protected area

Fisheries Research ◽

10.1016/j.fishres.2010.07.008 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 106 (1) ◽

pp. 93-101 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Tom J. Mason ◽

Christopher G. Lowe

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Protected Area ◽

Site Fidelity ◽

Southern California ◽

Marine Protected Area

Download Full-text

Seasonal influence on the bathymetric distribution of an endangered fish within a marine protected area

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-92633-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

A. Brazo ◽

R. Marques ◽

M. Zimmermann ◽

E. Aspillaga ◽

B. Hereu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protected Area ◽

Marine Protected Area ◽

Fish Distribution ◽

Shallow Waters ◽

Critical Periods ◽

Bathymetric Distribution ◽

Vertical Movements ◽

Endangered Fish ◽

Vertical Segregation ◽

Spatio Temporal

AbstractThe spatio-temporal variability of fish distribution is important to better manage and protect the populations of endangered species. In this sense, the vertical movements of a vulnerable and protected species, Sciaena umbra, were assessed in a marine protected area (the Réserve Naturelle Marine de Cerbère-Banyuls, south of France) to study the variability of their bathymetric distribution at different time scales. Twenty adults were marked with acoustic transmitters and acoustically monitored over 2.5 years. This revealed that some individuals remained at shallow waters (< 8 m) all year round, while others presented vertical segregation at deeper waters during the cold months (mean depth of 22.5 ± 0.04 m) and all aggregated in shallow waters during the warm months. The brown meagre was more active during the night, except in June and July when peaks of activity were observed at dusk. These patterns are likely associated with foraging and reproductive behavior during the cold and warm periods, respectively, and likely regulated by water temperature and the depth of the thermocline. Here, we provide valuable information on when and where in the water column critical periods of S. umbra life cycle are expected to occur, which should be considered in management and protection plans.

Download Full-text

Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus) in a proposed Marine Protected Area off east Lewis (Scotland, UK), 2010–2017

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315418000516 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 99 (3) ◽

pp. 703-714

Author(s):

Caroline R. Weir ◽

Nicola K. Hodgins ◽

Sarah J. Dolman ◽

Alice E. M. Walters

Keyword(s):

Population Size ◽

Coastal Waters ◽

Protected Area ◽

Site Fidelity ◽

Marine Protected Area ◽

Beaufort Sea ◽

Photo Identification ◽

Grampus Griseus ◽

Water Depths ◽

Ongoing Monitoring

AbstractThe coastal waters of east Lewis from the Butt of Lewis to Loch Erisort are a proposed Marine Protected Area (MPA) for Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus). A total of 100.4 h (2006.4 km) of active search effort (Beaufort sea states ≤3) was collected during 72 dedicated boat surveys between 2010 and 2017 (primarily in August and September) in the southern part of the MPA and south to the Shiant Isles. Forty Risso's dolphin sightings and 24.1 h of encounter effort were recorded, predominantly along the southern and eastern Eye Peninsula in 20–40 m water depths and at distances <1 km from shore. Group size ranged from one to 50 animals (mean = 11.8 dolphins) and calves occurred in 37.5% of sightings. A total of 2404 shore-based scans (Beaufort sea states ≤3) carried out from Tiumpan Head between September 2011 and December 2017 resulted in 271 (11.3%) ‘dolphin-present’ scans. Dolphins were present year-round, with a seasonal increase between May and October. ‘Calf-present’ scans only occurred between April and October. Photo-identification images from 28 boat surveys produced a minimum population size of 117 animals. There was evidence of high inter- and intra-annual site fidelity, with individual dolphins photographically captured in up to six of the eight survey years, and between two and seven capture dates being recorded for over 45% of individuals within most years. The combined datasets support the importance of east Lewis for Risso's dolphins, and recommendations are made for ongoing monitoring of dolphin occurrence throughout the wider MPA.

Download Full-text

Using complementary visual approaches to investigate residency, site fidelity and movement patterns of the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) in a Mediterranean marine protected area

Marine Biology ◽

10.1007/s00227-021-03917-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 168 (7) ◽

Author(s):

Elena Desiderà ◽

Egidio Trainito ◽

Augusto Navone ◽

Rémi Blandin ◽

Luana Magnani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protected Area ◽

Site Fidelity ◽

Marine Protected Area ◽

Small Scale ◽

Underwater Visual Census ◽

Entire Area ◽

Photo Identification ◽

Dusky Grouper ◽

Spatio Temporal ◽

Study Sites

AbstractAssessing individuals’ abundance, residency (presence at a site within a certain period) and site fidelity (tendency to return to the same site in subsequent seasons or years) is crucial for evaluating and improving the effectiveness of spatial conservation/management measures regarding ecologically and socio-economically valuable species. Using underwater visual census (UVC) and photo-identification (photo-ID) techniques, we estimated the abundance, residency and site fidelity of the dusky grouper, Epinephelus marginatus, at two protected sites within the Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area (Sardinia, Italy) in the summers of 2017–2018. The scope and spatio-temporal resolution of the study was extended by involving volunteer recreational divers in the photo collection. Grouper mean densities varied significantly across sampling dates, with a significant variability between the 2 years and the two investigated sites. At least 94 grouper visited the study sites in the summers of 2017–2018 based on the analysis of 968 high-quality photos using a semi-automated software to photo-identify individuals. Overall, the most frequently sighted grouper was recorded on 32 different days and 21 individuals (22%) identified in 2017 were re-sighted in 2018. The participation of volunteer recreational divers helped detect the inter-site (3.5–4 km apart) movements of a female and a male, supporting previous findings regarding the occurrence of reproduction-related movements. This study provides novel insights into the residency and site-fidelity patterns of the dusky grouper, and its small-scale movements probably related to reproduction. Specifically, we provide indications that effective protection from fishing should encompass the entire area used by grouper for reproductive movements.

Download Full-text

Dissenting Opinions of Judges of the unclos Tribunal in the Chagos Case

Afrika Focus ◽

10.1163/2031356x-34010004 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 28-49

Author(s):

Roopanand Mahadew ◽

Arzeena Bhowarkan

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

International Law ◽

Protected Area ◽

Marine Protected Area ◽

Law Of The Sea ◽

Moral Value ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

United Nations Convention ◽

The Republic ◽

The Unclos

Abstract Mauritius won its first victory when the “tribunal constituted under Annex vii of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea” delivered its award “in the matter of the Chagos Marine Protected Area (mpa) Arbitration, between the Republic of Mauritius and the United Kingdom”. The award declared that the mpa established around Chagos by the United Kingdom was against international law. However, the decision desired by both Mauritius and the Chagossians is found in the dissenting opinion, which is, as a matter of law, non-binding. The dissenting opinion is to the effect that the tribunal had jurisdiction to consider the issue of sovereignty over Chagos and that if such issue was considered, Mauritius had a strong case for winning back sovereignty over Chagos. This article aims to make the dissenting opinions more widely known and reflect on the legal value of such opinions, alongside their high political and moral value and relevance to Mauritius and the Chagossians.

Download Full-text