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Abstract:The Hawke Box is an offshore area (8610 km 2 ) of the boreal Northwest Atlantic that at the request of local fishers was closed to trawling and gillnetting in 2003, but remained open to seasonal snow crab (Chionocetes opilio) pot fishing. Closure was a precautionary management measure primarily to sustain the crab fishery and secondarily to conserve cod known to aggregate there. Fall (1996Fall ( -2013Fall ( ) and spring (1996Fall ( -2003Fall ( , 2015 surveys indicated that biological community assemblages changed significantly before-after and inside-outside the closure (PERMANOVA P < 0.01). Crab fishery data (1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013) indicated that landings and relative production declined throughout the region after closure, but was significantly more outside than inside. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) increased inside and outside the closure, and several other demersal species increased significantly more inside. The Hawke Box provides a unique boreal area for the study of restrictions on trawling and gillnetting in an area with historically strong fisheries, restrictions that are strongly supported by local fishers. The overall evidence suggests that within a decade the Hawke Box has benefited fisheries communities, fisheries production, and biodiversity conservation.Résumé : La Hawke Box est une zone extracôtière (8610 km 2 ) de l'Atlantique Nord-Ouest boréal qui, à la demande de pêcheurs locaux, a été fermée à la pêche au chalut et au filet maillant en 2003, mais est demeurée ouverte à la pêche au casier saisonnière au crabe des neiges (Chionoecetes opilio). La fermeture constituait une mesure de gestion préventive visant en premier lieu à soutenir la pêche au crabe et, en deuxième lieu, à conserver les morues qui se regroupent dans cette zone. Des évaluations automnales (1996-2013) et printanières (1996-2003, 2015) indiquent que les assemblages de la communauté biologique ont changé de manière significative après la fermeture et diffèrent selon qu'ils sont à l'intérieur ou à l'extérieur de la zone visée par la fermeture (P de l'analyse PERMANOVA < 0,01). Des données sur la pêche au crabe (1996-2013) indiquent que les débarquements et la production relative ont baissé dans toute la région après la fermeture, mais significativement plus à l'extérieur qu'à l'intérieur de la zone de fermeture. L'abondance de la morue (Gadus morhua) a augmenté tant à l'intérieur qu'à l'extérieur de la zone, et celle de plusieurs autres espèces démersales a augmenté significativement plus à l'intérieur de la zone. La Hawke Box constitue une zone boréale unique pour l'étude des restrictions sur la pêche au chalut et au filet maillant dans une région caractérisée par des pêches traditionnellement fortes, restrictions fortement soutenues par les pêcheurs locaux. Dans l'ensemble, les données probantes portent à croire que, en une décennie, la Hawke Box a été bénéfique pour les collectivités de pêcheurs, la production des pêches et la conservat...

A rapid review of the literature on closed areas that recognize key ecosystem‐based management (EBM) principles of fisheries and biodiversity conservation and had fisher involvement was employed to review closed areas worldwide from a fisheries perspective and to develop a scorecard that can assess their efficacy. The review provided 523 abstracts of which 19 areas from various regions worldwide had peer‐reviewed studies that met strict selection criteria. Criteria included fisher involvement, biodiversity conservation and fisheries management objectives. A repeat search without “fisher” and synonyms found, 62,622 papers indicating that most closed area studies had no mention of any fisher involvement. The general success of the areas selected suggests that fisher involvement benefits both biological conservation and fisheries management. Fisheries and biodiversity conservation outcomes were not exclusive to any one type of management closure (e.g. MPA, Fishery Closure). Twenty‐four indicators were selected, designed to provide measurable targets. High scoring indicators included management, planning and socio‐economic indicators such as local support (100%), habitat protection (100%), conservation and fisheries objectives (100%), monitoring (91.7%) and fishers concerns (91.7%). Bio‐ecological‐based indicators scored lower in most cases for all types of areas. Fisheries closures rated as highly as the MPAs with respect to both fisheries and bio‐ecological indicators. The scorecard provided a reasonable means to evaluate management success in the light of often qualitative or missing data. Addressing the interests and utilizing knowledge of those affected by closures and familiar with the area, most often local fishers, is key to achieving management objectives.

Small-scale octopus fisheries represent an underexplored source of nutrients and socioeconomic benefits for populations in the tropics. Here we analyse data from global seafood databases and published literature, finding that tropical small-scale octopus fisheries produced 88,000 t of catch and processed octopus in 2017, with a landed value of US$ 2.3 billion, contributing towards copper, iron and selenium intakes, with over twice the vitamin B12 content of finfish. Catch methods, primarily consisting of small-scale lines and small-scale pots and traps, produced minimal bycatch, and the fast growth and adaptability of octopus may facilitate environmentally sustainable production under climatic change. Management approaches including periodic fishery closures, size restrictions, licences and knowledge transfer of fishing gears can enable greater blue food supply and economic value to be generated while improving environmental sustainability.Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) have been identified as an invaluable component in delivering food security, particularly in developing nations, and are vital to coastal economies 1 . Worldwide SSFs make up 24% of the fishing sector (2017) 2 , yet provide employment to over 113 million people, compared with just 7 million people for industrial fisheries 3 . SSFs play a key role in the delivery of essential micronutrients such as vitamins A, D and B12, calcium, iron and zinc, improving household nutrition for food security 1 . They provide families with increased purchasing power through the sale of some of their catch, enabling the purchase of lower-cost staple foods 1 . They enhance the economic status of women through their involvement in fishing gear manufacture, fish processing and trading, with women comprising 47% of the workforce employed in SSFs 4 . SSFs are able to thrive in regions and time periods where infrastructure is limited and governments unstable, while industrial food supply chains can be crippled by such conditions 5 . SSFs offer a route out of poverty and act as engines of socioeconomic growth on a local and national level 5 .Here, we perform a review of tropical small-scale octopus fisheries (TSSOFs) and the major current and future role they can play in global food security. TSSOFs are defined here as shallow soft-bottom or reef-associated fisheries, distinctly different from more industrial fisheries that target offshore species. Food security is a multi-dimensional concept, with many components from food supply variability to water scarcity. Here we place particular emphasis on the micronutrient component of food security. In the countries considered in this Analysisthose with TSSOFs-the prevalence of undernourishment can exceed 40%, the prevalence of stunting in children under five commonly exceeds 30% (Extended Data Table 1) and incomes are typically lower and food deficits more pronounced than in temperate regions 6 . In tropical countries, SSFs are especially important for delivering key micronutrients to people and tackling these issues. However, fish...

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