Since the 1970s, recreational fishing has become a mass hobby in Italy, reaching a large number of people, who, using modern equipment, increased their harvesting capacity, provoking serious conflicts with the professional fisheries. Recreational fishing is strictly regulated inside Italian Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and is generally allocated to local residents, mainly to reduce the tensions caused by limitations of access to the resources. The aim of this study was to provide an analysis of recreational fishing activities within the Portofino MPA (Mediterranean Sea), to assess the possible impact on the local fish stocks and to plan potential management actions. Furthermore, some serious inconsistencies on the minimum lengths of fish caught as defined by law relative to the minimum size of first reproduction are discussed. Since 2014, all anglers exploiting the Portofino MPA have been obliged to fill out a logbook. The compilation of these was not completely satisfactory, when compared with a group of reliable anglers whose catches were accurately monitored, but allowed for estimated yields of about 24 kg/angler/yr. After 15 years of protection, the fish biomass has increased within the Portofino MPA, generating a positive spillover effect. At the same time, it has attracted many anglers whose gross harvesting was estimated at about 8 t/year, representing about the 8% of the total yield of the local small‐scale fishery.

In the Mediterranean Sea, recreational fishing is a popular activity and anglers catch a significant amount of fish which could represent more than 10% of the total harvesting in a littoral area. The Portofino Marine Protected Area, established in 1999 in the Ligurian Sea (North-Western Mediterranean), traditionally hosts a well-developed recreational fishery. Aim of this study has been to characterize the activities of the local anglers, analysing their annual harvesting within and around the Portofino MPA and the species composition of the catches. This was possible studying data from the mandatory anglers’ logbooks, and through interviews and surveys at sea. In 2015, the 340 checked anglers fished, in average, 1 kg/day, on average, mainly by trolling or handlining systems. Each fisherman, during 25 (± 21) trips, fished approximately 25 kg/year, for a total harvesting of about 8-9 t/year. Seriola dumerili, with 230 kg/year, was the species most caught in terms of biomass. It was followed by Coryphaena hippurus (130 kg/year). In addition, the analysis of catches occurring during local fishing competitions organized off the MPA limits suggested a harvesting capacity for each angler varying between 0.7 and 1.1 kg/angler per day, depending on the used gear (handlining, trolling, spear-guns). Finally, 36% of the anglers claimed to hook often the hard bottom seabed, often losing nylon lines. Consequently, the Management Body of the Portofino MPA has been advised to suspend recreational fishing activities in the most busy areas for a period of two years, calling for a complete removal of the lost fishing gears.