Long‐term comparison of structure and dynamics of the red coral metapopulation of the Portofino Promontory (Ligurian Sea): a case‐study for a Marine Protected Area in the Mediterranean Sea

Bavestrello, Giorgio; Bo, Marzia; Bertolino, Marco; Betti, Federico; Cattaneo‐Vietti, Riccardo

doi:10.1111/maec.12235

Cited by 29 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…These populations, mainly inside MPAs, represent an important attraction for recreational divers (Bramanti et al 2011). The recovery time of these populations appears very long: only 30 years after the last exploitations and 15 years following integral protection, the Portofino MPA shallowwater population seems to be on track to achieve the structure it had in the 1950s, when the heavy harvesting started (Bavestrello et al 2009(Bavestrello et al , 2014a.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A representative example is that of the historical red coral banks of the Gulf of Naples, largely unrecovered nowadays (Bavestrello et al 2014a). The Mediterranean red coral shows a slow resilience due to the limited larval diffusion potential (Costantini et al 2007;Ledoux et al 2010), high post-settlement mortality (Cerrano et al 2001), low growth rates and reproductive output that increases with size (Garrabou & Harmelin 2002;Santangelo et al 2004Santangelo et al , 2012Bramanti et al 2007Bramanti et al , 2014Gallmetzer et al 2010;Linares et al 2010;Priori et al 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Today, the Portofino population is well known (Marchetti 1965;Cattaneo-Vietti & Bavestrello 2010;Bramanti et al 2014;Bavestrello et al 2014a) and protected inside the Portofino MPA. After 20 years of protection, it shows a slow recovery (Bramanti et al 2014;Bavestrello et al 2014b).…”

Section: Ligurian Seamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, red coral protection remains difficult to realise, because fishing is hardly verifiable, and the yield easily concealable . Moreover, the available data on landings are lacking or underestimated, but it is clear that in the last 100 years, red coral experienced a continuous decrease in landings, and its populations are nearly depleted in several areas (CITES 2007;Tsounis et al 2013) even due to intense phenomena of mass mortality generally attributed to global warming (Garrabou et al 2001;Bavestrello et al 2014a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An overexploited Italian treasure: past and present distribution and exploitation of the precious red coral Corallium rubrum (L., 1758) (Cnidaria: Anthozoa)

Cattaneo‐Vietti

Cannas

et al. 2016

Italian Journal of Zoology

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The aim of this paper is to supply an overview of all historical and recent knowledge on landings, fishing and geographic distribution of the red coral banks along the Italian coasts in order to make a contribution to the conservation and future management of this resource. Along the Italian coasts, the banks have been exploited for millennia, using non-selective trawling gear that was banned in Europe in 1994. Today, harvesting is allowed only by scuba divers and regulated by specific laws. We examined 153 years of history of coral fishing in Italy, from Unification (1861) to 2014. Data about the coralline fleets and the amount of coral landings were recorded for the considered span of time. From a quantitative point of view, the coral fishing in Italy in the last 150 years has been dominated by the sub-fossil coral reservoirs from the Sciacca Banks (Sicily Channel), where an extraordinary amount of 18,000 tons was collected in 34 years (1875-1888 and 1893-1914). This amount represents about 90% of all red coral harvested along the Italian coast in the last 150 years. Excluding this period, the average annual yield was initially around 100 tons, decreasing to 28 tons 100 years later, therefore demonstrating a severe overexploitation of the resource. The great part of the deep red coral banks was abandoned because harvesting was no longer profitable. Nevertheless, quantitative data suggest that red coral banks, even though overexploited, are still widespread along Italian coasts, mainly in shallow waters. These banks show a remarkable persistence although with a generalised shift towards smaller colony sizes and higher density. The time span necessary in recovering the pristine structure, following the end of the fishing activities, appears very long and the populations of several areas might be unable to re-colonise the old and overexploited banks.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Ligurian Seamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An overexploited Italian treasure: past and present distribution and exploitation of the precious red coral Corallium rubrum (L., 1758) (Cnidaria: Anthozoa)

Cattaneo‐Vietti

Cannas

et al. 2016

Italian Journal of Zoology

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“…Bavestrello et al 2014a;Garrabou et al 2009;Harmelin, 2004). A decrease in catch landings of 60% during the last thirty years, combined with the observed local depletions and extinctions, imply an estimated decline that almost certainly exceeds 30% over the past 30 years (one generation).…”

Section: Following the Gfcm Recommendation 35/2011mentioning

confidence: 98%

Overview of the conservation status of Mediterranean anthozoa

Bo¹,

Numa²,

Otero³

et al. 2017

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Illegal ingegno fishery and conservation of deep red coral banks in the Sicily Channel (Mediterranean Sea)

Cattaneo‐Vietti

Bavestrello

et al. 2017

Aquatic Conservation

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1. Recent ROV surveys conducted on the Ragusa bank in the Sicily Channel (Mediterranean Sea) documented illegal and continuous use of the 'ingegno' gear for red coral fishing. 2. Three lost gears were recorded showing different levels of epibiosis thus supporting multiannual exploitation of the bank. 3. The red coral population of the Ragusa bank showed a typical 'forest-like' configuration with upright, medium-sized colonies similar to those of other commercially exploited deep Mediterranean banks.4. The direct negative effect of this trawling gear was evident from numerous rocky boulders completely enveloped by lost nets and occasionally turned over. Red coral fragments as well as fragments of 'ingegno' nets were observed in high abundance on the sea floor. This evidence suggests that this gear is highly destructive even on rough sea floors, contrary to the traditional view, which is that it has a more random impact on rough rocky bottoms. 5. The estimated coral uptake of 'ingegno' is 45% of the total coral biomass, while the estimated coral loss, in terms of fragments, is 9%, demonstrating the high impact of this gear.6. The study highlighted the infringement of the red coral fishing ban by trawling gears as well as a lack of effective policing. The strengthening of controls on landings at nearby harbours, and education programmes for the local maritime communities are among the management actions proposed to protect these surviving red coral populations from the ongoing illegal fishing activity.

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Long‐term comparison of structure and dynamics of the red coral metapopulation of the Portofino Promontory (Ligurian Sea): a case‐study for a Marine Protected Area in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract: A large amount of data on the precious coral Corallium rubrum has attested to a dramatic shift in the size structure of its over-harvested Mediterranean populations in recent decades.

Cited by 29 publications

References 32 publications

An overexploited Italian treasure: past and present distribution and exploitation of the precious red coral Corallium rubrum (L., 1758) (Cnidaria: Anthozoa)

An overexploited Italian treasure: past and present distribution and exploitation of the precious red coral Corallium rubrum (L., 1758) (Cnidaria: Anthozoa)

Overview of the conservation status of Mediterranean anthozoa

Illegal ingegno fishery and conservation of deep red coral banks in the Sicily Channel (Mediterranean Sea)

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