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The paucity of long‐term marine recreational fisheries data limits understanding of the effects of exploitation on target species. Long‐term catch‐per‐unit‐effort (CPUE) datasets for a large piscivorous carangid species, Lichia amia (L.), from 3 South African recreational fishery sectors were examined. Although standardised CPUE for all sectors showed an overall long‐term decline, there was considerable variability in trends between the recreational sectors and between datasets. Contrasting trends between competitive shore angling and general shore angling datasets were ascribed to hyperstability in competition CPUE data, which was most influenced by rapidly improving technology, techniques and communication networks amongst anglers. Month and locality were significant factors explaining the probability of catching L. amia. This suggests that the predictable aggregation behaviour of this species could further compound the observed CPUE hyperstability. Although the CPUE responded positively for 6 years after implementation of the first minimum size and bag limits, and for 1 year after the decommercialisation of the species, these regulations and their amendments failed to arrest a long‐term decline in CPUE despite ample evidence for hyperstability. Additional regulations, including a spatio‐temporal closure and the implementation of a voluntary regulation framework of catch and release, are recommended for this species.

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Marine protected areas (MPAs) are not designed the same, nor are they equally effective. Efficacy of MPAs is frequently gauged by measuring the direct ecological responses of fish communities. However measuring the indirect, or knock-on effects from protection can provide additional insight into MPA effectiveness at the community level. Here we applied traitbased and community analyses to investigate MPA effectiveness by evaluating both direct and indirect effects of protection on fish assemblages using baited remote underwater stereo-video data from inside and outside 5 no-take MPAs along the South African coastline. The trait-based analyses indicated the presence of a significant overall direct effect (increased abundance of mature individuals targeted by fisheries) and indirect effects (reduction of the abundance of species not targeted by fisheries) inside MPAs, and highlighted that fish maturity is an essential trait to incorporate when assessing direct effects of protection. However, investigation of the species data of the individual MPAs showed positive reserve effects at the community level (both direct and indirect effects) in only 3 MPAs. For the most part these results conform with current theories on the factors that contribute to MPA effectiveness. Yet, one old, large and isolated no-take MPA showed no direct effects of protection, which is attributed to the lack of adequate offshore reef habitat throughout this MPA. While these results support the value of MPAs as ecosystem management tools, they highlight the need for appropriate site selection when designing MPAs.