Regional differences in fishing behavior determine whether a marine reserve network enhances fishery yield

Abstract

Model simulations show that a network of marine reserves can enhance yield in depleted fisheries by protecting populations, particularly large, old spawners that supply larvae for interspersed fishing grounds. The ability of marine reserves to enhance sustainable fisheries is much less evident. We report empirical evidence of a marine reserve network improving yield for a sustainable spiny lobster fishery, apparently through the spillover of adult lobsters and behavioral adaptation by the fishing fleet. Results of a Before-After, Control-Impact analysis found catch, effort, and Catch-Per-Unit Effort increased after the establishment of marine reserves in the northern region of the fishery where fishers responded by fishing intensively at reserve borders, but declined in the southern region where they vacated once productive fishing grounds. Our results highlight the value of collaborative research and education programs involving diverse stakeholders for preparing fisheries to operate productively within a seascape that includes a large marine reserve network.

Dynamic marine spatial planning for conservation and fisheries benefits

“…The process of selecting and prioritizing areas is complex, but decision support tools, such as Marxan, can help marine planning processes and include many functionalities such as economic and trade‐off analysis (Burns et al., 2023). It is essential to acknowledge the importance of integrating specific socio‐economic objectives into conservation practice to ensure equity among multiple groups of stakeholders and fishery associations in the planning region, as it can affect conservation outcomes and management efficiency and effectiveness (Halpern et al., 2013; Klein et al., 2015; Lenihan et al., 2024). In this study area, where the Catalan fishery is divided among multiple fishery associations operating in different fishing grounds, it is indeed desirable to ensure that fishing limitations are distributed equitably.…”