2016•Ecological ApplicationsRequires access
A critique of claims for negative impacts of Marine Protected Areas on fisheries
Terry P. Hughes, Darren S. Cameron, Andrew Chin, Sean R. Connolly, Jon Day, Geoffrey P. Jones, Laurence J. McCook, Peter McGinnity, Peter J. Mumby, Rachel Pears, Robert L. Pressey, Garry R. Russ, John Tanzer, Andrew J. Tobin, Matthew A. Young
Open publisher page 21 citations
Abstract
[Extract] To the Editor: Establishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), often including zones that are closed to fishing, is an effective approach to maintaining biodiversity and rebuilding ecosystem function (e.g. McCook et al. 2010). However, MPAs are frequently opposed by fishers and by some fisheries managers, because of the potential for displacing fishing activity and reducing catches (Caveen et al. 2015). How much catch is lost due to spatial closures in both the short and long term is a critical question, even where the objective of establishing MPAs is to conserve biodiversity rather than to regulate fisheries.