title: Marine protected area improves yield without disadvantaging fishers.
abstract: Potential fishery benefits of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are widely acknowledged, yet seldom demonstrated, as fishery data series that straddle MPA establishment are seldom available. Here we postulate, based on a 15-year time series of nation-wide, spatially referenced catch and effort data, that the establishment of the Goukamma MPA (18 km alongshore; 40 km²) benefited the adjacent fishery for roman (Chrysoblephus laticeps), a South African endemic seabream. Roman-directed catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) in the vicinity of the new MPA immediately increased, contradicting trends across this species' distribution. The increase continued after 5 years, the time lag expected for larval export, effectively doubling the pre-MPA CPUE after 10 years. We find no indication that establishing the MPA caused a systematic drop in total catch or increased travel distances for the fleet. Our results provide rare empirical evidence of rapidly increasing catch rates after MPA implementation without measurable disadvantages for fishers.
authors: 1] Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Fisheries Research and Development, Private Bag X2, Roggebaai 8012, South Africa [2] Department of Biological Sciences, Marine Research Institute, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7700, South Africa.
authors: Sven E
authors: SE
authors: Kerwath
authors: Henning
authors: H
authors: Winker
authors: Albrecht
authors: A
authors: Götz
authors: Colin G
authors: CG
authors: Attwood
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D005398:Fisheries / Q000379:methods*; D011157:Population Dynamics; D021541:Sea Bream