Transboundary Socio-Ecological Effects of a Marine Protected Area in the Southwest Atlantic
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Transboundary Socio-Ecological Effects of a Marine Protected Area in the Southwest Atlantic Priscila F. M. Lopes, Renato A. M. Silvano, Vinicius A. Nora, Alpina Begossi
Abstract Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been regarded as an alternative to protect natural resources and to improve fisheries. However, MPAs may also have negative socio-economic consequences on fishing communities. We aimed to check the effectiveness of a socially conflicting MPA in Brazil by assessing target reef fish biomass in islands inside (n = 6) and outside (n = 6) the MPA, fisheries’ productivity (biomass), catch per unit of effort (CPUE), and fishers’ socioeconomic status (mainly fishers’ income) in three fishing communities subjected to different degrees of influence (close, average, and long distance) of the MPA. The CPUE was higher in the fishing community that was further away from the MPA, fish biomass was higher in the islands located inside the MPA in the southern region and in the islands located outside the MPA in the northern region, while fishers were making the most money closest to the MPA, where conflicts are the highest, probably from practicing very intensive fisheries. This integrated approach showed that the studied MPA has not delivered ecological benefits, such as higher CPUE or more fish, while higher income closer to the MPA could not be clearly attributed to its effects. Keywords Small-scale fisheries Fisheries conflicts Reef fishes Ecosystem-based management Fish conservation Fisheries management
INTRODUCTION Most commercial fisheries all over the world have experienced some pressure, with an estimated 29 % of the assessed Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-013-0452-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
stocks considered overexploited in 2003 (Worm et al. 2006) and 63 % needing rebuilding by 2009 (35 % of these were overfished) (Worm et al. 2009, but see FAO 2012 for regional variations), a figure that may be higher for the poorly assessed small-scale fisheries (Costello et al. 2012). It is no surprise then that management initiatives such as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are becoming common globally to prevent overexploitation of fishing resources (Worm et al. 2009). Yet, effective implementation of MPAs takes time, delaying management actions. This delay, due to different reasons (e.g., market pressures, lack of funding, lack of environmental concern, and uncertainty in scientific advice; Rosemberg 2003), may add another constraint on the achievement of fisheries’ sustainability: the adoption of incorrect or conflicting socio-economic management measures (Jentoft and McCay 1995). As a fishing management measure and/or conservation strategy, MPAs can potentially enhance the fish production of surrounding areas through ecological processes of spillover (export of adult fish or of fish and crustacean pelagic larvae from the reserve) (Gell and Roberts 2003; Evans and Russ 2004). However, ‘‘ill-planned’’ MPAs may
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