Study

Measuring the effectiveness of a Caribbean oceanic island no-take zone with an asymmetrical BACI approach

  • Published source details Mateos-Molina D., Schärer-Umpierre M.T., Appeldoorn R.S. & García-Charton J.A. (2014) Measuring the effectiveness of a Caribbean oceanic island no-take zone with an asymmetrical BACI approach. Fisheries Research, 150, 1-10.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Cease or prohibit all types of fishing in a marine protected area

Action Link
Marine Fish Conservation
  1. Cease or prohibit all types of fishing in a marine protected area

    A site comparison study in 2005–2010 of three coral reef areas in the Caribbean Sea off Puerto Rico (Mateos-Molina et al. 2014) found that prohibiting all fishing in a marine protected area resulted in a similar coral reef fish abundance and biomass one and five years after implementation compared to fished areas, but abundance increased in all areas over time. Overall, there were no differences in average reef fish abundance and biomass between no-take and fished locations, but after 5 years abundance had increased in all areas, regardless of protection level, particularly for small life stages and small-sized fish (data presented graphically and as statistical results). A no-take zone at the Mona Island Marine Protected Area was established in 2004 extending up to 926 m from the shore initially and modified in 2007 to include areas up to 182 m depth. Two locations in the no-take area and one in a fished area of the marine protected area (within the 2004 boundaries) were surveyed in autumn and winter of 2005–2006 and 2009–2010. At each location, fish size and abundance were recorded by underwater visual census along 12 belt transects (60 m2) at three separate sampling sites. After each transect five-minute roving surveys were conducted.

    (Summarised by: Khatija Alliji)

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