title: Five key attributes can increase marine protected areas performance for small-scale fisheries management.
abstract: Marine protected areas (MPAs) have largely proven to be effective tools for conserving marine ecosystem, while socio-economic benefits generated by MPAs to fisheries are still under debate. Many MPAs embed a no-take zone, aiming to preserve natural populations and ecosystems, within a buffer zone where potentially sustainable activities are allowed. Small-scale fisheries (SSF) within buffer zones can be highly beneficial by promoting local socio-economies. However, guidelines to successfully manage SSFs within MPAs, ensuring both conservation and fisheries goals, and reaching a win-win scenario, are largely unavailable. From the peer-reviewed literature, grey-literature and interviews, we assembled a unique database of ecological, social and economic attributes of SSF in 25 Mediterranean MPAs. Using random forest with Boruta algorithm we identified a set of attributes determining successful SSFs management within MPAs. We show that fish stocks are healthier, fishermen incomes are higher and the social acceptance of management practices is fostered if five attributes are present (i.e. high MPA enforcement, presence of a management plan, fishermen engagement in MPA management, fishermen representative in the MPA board, and promotion of sustainable fishing). These findings are pivotal to Mediterranean coastal communities so they can achieve conservation goals while allowing for profitable exploitation of fisheries resources.
authors.affiliation: Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, FRE 3729 ECOMERS, Parc Valrose 28, Avenue Valrose, 06108 Nice, France.|Consorzio Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Franco
authors.affiliation: Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, FRE 3729 ECOMERS, Parc Valrose 28, Avenue Valrose, 06108 Nice, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thiriet
authors.affiliation: WWF-MedPO, Via Po 25/c, 00198 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Carlo
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Sciences, School of Environment, University of the Aegean, Mytilini, Greece.|National Marine Park of Zakynthos, Zakynthos, Greece.
authors.forename: Charalampos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dimitriadis
authors.affiliation: Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, FRE 3729 ECOMERS, Parc Valrose 28, Avenue Valrose, 06108 Nice, France.
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Francour
authors.affiliation: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale Delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicolas L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.affiliation: IUCN Center for Mediterranean Cooperation, C/Marie Curie 22, 29590 Campanillas, Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jeudy de Grissac
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Sciences, School of Environment, University of the Aegean, Mytilini, Greece.
authors.forename: Drosos
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Koutsoubas
authors.affiliation: Consorzio Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy.|DiSTeM-Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 28, 90123 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Milazzo
authors.affiliation: IUCN Center for Mediterranean Cooperation, C/Marie Curie 22, 29590 Campanillas, Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: María Del Mar
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Otero
authors.affiliation: WWF-France 1 Carrefour de Longchamp, 75016 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piante
authors.affiliation: Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, FRE 3729 ECOMERS, Parc Valrose 28, Avenue Valrose, 06108 Nice, France.
authors.forename: Jeremiah
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Plass-Johnson
authors.affiliation: WWF Mediterranean Programme, Barcelona 08002, Spain.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sainz-Trapaga
authors.affiliation: Federparchi - Europarc Italy, Rome Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santarossa
authors.affiliation: WWF Mediterranean Programme, Barcelona 08002, Spain.
authors.forename: Sergi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tudela
authors.affiliation: Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, FRE 3729 ECOMERS, Parc Valrose 28, Avenue Valrose, 06108 Nice, France.|Consorzio Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guidetti
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016208:Databases, Factual; D017753:Ecosystem; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005398:Fisheries / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005399:Fishes; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors