Structure and spatio-temporal dynamics of artisanal fisheries around a Mediterranean marine protected area

Abstract

Forcada, A., Valle, C., Sánchez-Lizaso, J. L., Bayle-Sempere, J. T., and Corsi, F. 2010. Structure and spatio-temporal dynamics of artisanal fisheries around a Mediterranean marine protected area. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 191–203. Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been proposed and established throughout the world, but few studies have adequately assessed the spatial adaptations of fishers to the limitations imposed by their placement. The main objectives of this work were to identify and describe the characteristics of the artisanal fisheries around Tabarca Marine Reserve (western Mediterranean Sea) and to define their activity in space and time. Data were collected through questionnaires to fishers and onboard sampling. The artisanal fisheries were complex owing to the multispecific nature of the landings, the variety of gears involved, and their marked seasonality. All boats of the three harbours around the MPA were assessed, for a total of 32 boats. The fishers exploit 18 fishing grounds with eight gear types, for a total of 17 métiers. Mullus trammelnet, Sepia trammelnet, and sparid longline are the most frequently used métiers. The main factors determining the spatial distribution of the fishing effort are proximity to home harbour, habitat heterogeneity, and closeness to the MPA. Total fishing effort appeared slightly concentrated around the MPA, but each métier showed different patterns of effort distribution. Although the sparid gillnet and the sparid longline concentrated along MPA boundaries, the Sepia trammelnet and the Mullus trammelnet did not.

Characterizing the complexity of the fleet dynamics for an effective fisheries management: The case of the Cíes Islands (NW Spain)

“…In fact, the articles identifying fishing strategies in Spain were performed in the Mediterranean and/or southern areas of the country (Silva et al 2002, Forcada et al 2010, Maynou et al 2011, Martín et al 2012, where the fishing activity is different and less complex to that identified in this study. Studies carried out in other regions identified between 7 and 17 strategies (Forcada et al 2010, Maynou et al 2011), whereas we have described 33 different fishing techniques operating in an area of 26.6 km 2 .…”

“…In fact, the articles identifying fishing strategies in Spain were performed in the Mediterranean and/or southern areas of the country (Silva et al 2002, Forcada et al 2010, Maynou et al 2011, Martín et al 2012, where the fishing activity is different and less complex to that identified in this study. Studies carried out in other regions identified between 7 and 17 strategies (Forcada et al 2010, Maynou et al 2011), whereas we have described 33 different fishing techniques operating in an area of 26.6 km 2 . The target species were also different: whereas most of the target species for Mediterranean small-scale fleet are finfish such as striped red mullet, common sole, gilthead seabream, common pandora and Atlantic bonito (Martín et al 2012), many of the main fisheries in Galicia target benthic invertebrates of high commercial value, such as common octopus, velvet crab, European spider crab, clams and gooseneck barnacles.…”

“…This number is high when compared with that in other regions with similar ecological interest. Between 9 and 13 artisanal vessels fish in an area of 12.2 km 2 within the French National Park of Port Cross (Cadiou et al 2009), and 51 vessels fish in the Tabarca Marine Reserve (14 km 2 ) in Spain (Forcada et al 2010). In both cases there is a census of vessels authorized to fish within the protected areas and some particular fishing regulations are in place.…”

“…Depending on the context in which they work, boats can easily change their target species in order to maximize the economic benefits and use different fishing strategies or mètiers (combinations of fishing area, target species, season and fishing gear; see Tzanatos et al 2006). Ignoring this variability can generate a simplistic and biased vision of the fishing activity, which may lead to misinterpretation of how fishers allocate the fishing effort in space and time and of the impact caused by the fishing effort on the ecosystem (Salas and Gaertner 2004, Forcada et al 2010, Maynou et al 2011, Martín et al 2014. Second, fishers' behaviour is one of the main sources of uncertainty associated with the fishing systems, so ignoring the patterns of human interventions could undermine the effectiveness of management strategies (FAO 2003, Fulton et al 2011, Maravelias et al 2014.…”

Spatial assessment of artisanal fisheries and their potential impact on the seabed: the Cap de Creus regional case study (northwestern Mediterranean Sea)

“…An alternative approach to provide reliable figures of fishing grounds is through direct interviews with fishermen (e.g. questionnaire-based surveys) gathering all the relevant information (Stelzenmüller et al 2007, De Freitas and Tagliani 2009, Forcada et al 2010.…”