Is the Cape Roux marine protected area (Saint-Raphaël, Mediterranean Sea) an efficient tool to sustain artisanal fisheries? First indications from visual censuses and trammel net sampling

Abstract

-In recent decades, marine reserves have been established either to protect ecosystem structure and biological diversity or to serve as management tools to counter the overexploitation of fish stocks. The Cape Roux marine protected area (MPA), in the Mediterranean Sea, was established in December 2003 for the management of artisanal fisheries and enhancement target fish stocks. Monitoring of littoral fish assemblages (0-30 m depth) in this zone began one year after the MPA was set up. The survey was conducted at 6 stations, located inside and outside the MPA, using three methods: underwater visual census (UVC) on transects, UVC using a new fish assemblage survey technique (FAST), and experimental net fishing performed by a fisherman. The FAST indices were derived from visual censuses, performed along a random pathway, scoring species on a presence/absence basis and size on a 2-class basis. Indices were calculated seasonally, by applying "weights" according to species and size. This study presents results obtained between October 2005 and June 2007. In the protected area, the experimental fishing yielded significantly higher abundance and species richness, and the FAST method highlighted a decrease in seasonal fluctuations. These two complementary methods (UVC and experimental fishing) revealed the early changes in fish assemblages in response to protection. The FAST method employed here seems to be relevant for the study of artisanal fishery target fishes, as a low-cost and sensitive UVC method.Key words: Small-scale fishery / Fish diversity / Underwater visual census methods / Marine protected area / Mediterranean Sea Résumé -L'aire marine protégée du cap Roux (Saint-Raphaël, Méditerranée) est-elle un outil efficace pour soutenir la pêche artisanale ? Premières indications obtenues par comptages visuels et pêches expérimen-tales. Au cours des dernières décennies, des réserves marines ont été créées pour protéger la structure des écosystèmes et la diversité biologique ou comme outil de gestion des pêches pour contrer la surexploitation des stocks de poissons. L'aire marine protégée du cap Roux (Méditerranée, Saint-Raphaël) a été créée en décembre 2003, dans un but de gestion de la pêche artisanale afin de reconstituer des stocks exploités. Le suivi des peuplements de poissons de la zone littorale (0-30 m de profondeur) a débuté un an après la mise en place du cantonnement de pêche et sur 6 stations réparties à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur de la zone protégée. Trois méthodes sont utilisées : des comptages visuels en plongée sousmarine soit le long de transects, soit selon une nouvelle méthode dite : « Fish Assemblage Survey Technique (FAST) », ainsi que des pêches expérimentales au filet tramail, effectuées par un pêcheur professionnel. L'indice FAST est calculé de façon saisonnière sur les peuplements de poissons ciblés, en fonction des espèces, selon leur présence/absence, et selon 2 classes de taille. Cette étude présente les résultats obtenus entre octobre 2005 et juin 2007. Dans la zone protégée, la...

Composition and spatial distribution of subtidal decapoda on the "Reef Coast", northeastern Brazil, evaluated through a low-impact visual census technique

“…The Underwater Visual Census (UVC) is a direct sampling technique with low impact, which has been used in several ecological and behavioral studies on marine communities (Willis, 2001;Hill and Wilkinson, 2004;Bakus, 2007;Vanderklift et al, 2007;Seytre and Francour, 2008;Denitto et al, 2009;Mellin et al, 2009;Oliveira et al, 2011), mainly in protected and fragile areas such as coral-reef environments (Edmunds et al, 2005;Marshall and Schuttenberg, 2006;Wilson et al, 2007;Dubinsky and Stambler, 2011).…”

How fisher‐influenced marine closed areas contribute to ecosystem‐based management: A review and performance indicator scorecard

“…catch data, landings information) were involved in planning and management and reported fisher involvement in active enforcement of the area (Table ). Fishers’ knowledge was used in a variety of ways, to assess changes in fish stocks (Galal, Ormond, & Hassan, ), to compare fishing data (McClanahan & Mangi, ) and define the fisheries taking place (Forcada, Valle, Sanchez‐Lizaso, Bayle‐Sempere, & Corsi, ) and to implement closures (Seytre & Francour, ). Many studies described additional aspects including fishers perceptions on restrictions (Tonioli & Agar, ), the extension of an area (Lédée, Sutton, Tobin, & De Freitas, ; Sutton & Tobin, , ), effectiveness (Karras & Agar, ) and differences before–after implementation (Milon, Suman, Shivlani, & Cochran, ; Shivlani, Leeworthy, Murray, & Suman, ).…”

“…fisheries resources improved) and were supportive of closed areas to protect nursery and spawning areas. Fishers provided biological information and acknowledged the biological‐based benefits of a closed area (Jupiter & Egli, ; Seytre & Francour, ). However, they were often cautious about benefits to themselves and often unwilling to support further protection efforts citing the impact on their livelihoods.…”

Meta-analysis review of fish trophic level at marine protected areas based on stable isotopes data

“…There are several analyses where the "reserve effect" emerges during different periods of time. For example, after the first year an increase in biomass was observed (Russ & Alcala, 1996); during the first three years of protection, increases in density, biomass, and diversity occur (Halpern & Warner, 2002) with a significant increase in density, species richness, and size of the target (Seytre & Francour, 2008). Six years after MPA establishment, significant differences were found in total abundance, species richness, and diversity on species such as S. cabrilla and C. julis (Claudet et al, 2006); 5-10 years after protection, the "reserve effect" emerges (Gell & Roberts, 2003) and MPAs are more effective when maintained for at least 15 years following establishment (Molloy et al, 2009).…”