title: Spatial management of fisheries in the mediterranean sea: problematic issues and a few success stories.
abstract: Fishing has been important in the Mediterranean region for many centuries and still has a central role in its economic importance and cultural heritage. A multitude of fishery-oriented marine managed areas have been implemented under a highly complex political and legislative framework to protect fishery resources and sensitive habitats from high impact uses. However, a review of the literature revealed that few data are available to support their effectiveness, except for a few studies on fishery reserves and marine reserves. In these cases, fish biomass has increased and some evidence of ecological and socioeconomic benefits has been documented. The environmental and geopolitical complexity of the Mediterranean region as well as the dominant top-down management approaches, constitute the weakest points in the spatial management of fisheries at regional level. A coordinating role of all national and supranational bodies present in the area is desirable in the near future.
authors.affiliation: CNR-IAMC Sede di Castellammare del Golfo, Castellammare del Golfo, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pipitone
authors.affiliation: CNR-IAMC Sede di Castellammare del Golfo, Castellammare del Golfo, Italy. Electronic address: fabio.badalamenti@cnr.it.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Badalamenti
authors.affiliation: CNR-IAMC Sede di Castellammare del Golfo, Castellammare del Golfo, Italy.
authors.forename: Tomás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vega Fernández
authors.affiliation: CNR-IAMC Sede di Castellammare del Golfo, Castellammare del Golfo, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Anna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D005398:Fisheries; D006801:Humans; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Fisheries management; Fishery reserves; Marine policy; Marine protected areas; Reserve effect; Socioeconomic issues