Marine protected areas and endangered shark conservation

Guidetti, Paolo; Bottaro, Massimiliano; Ciccolella, Alessandro; Danovaro, Roberto

doi:10.1002/aqc.3650

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Second, focus on fishing‐effort controls, including gear or temporal restrictions, and on the use of shark dissuasive devices 79 . Third, adopt best practices to aid the survival of by-catch species through training on the correct identification, handling, and release protocols for endangered elasmobranchs 44 , and for the officials authorized to enforce regulations and check catches 12 . Fourth, improve the knowledge base, by identifying critical habitats within MPA borders that would allow for seasonal closures of nursery areas, breeding grounds and aggregation sites 63 , 64 , 80 , and systematically collect SSF fishing effort data in the Mediterranean Sea that would provide more accurate estimates of total yields.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date, these benefits for elasmobranchs remain relatively unknown 43 . As MPAs can trigger virtuous fishers’ attitudes and recognition of the need to cooperate with MPA managers and scientists, they represent an ideal incubator for wider successful cooperation for the conservation of endangered species, including elasmobranchs (see e.g., 44 ). Most MPAs globally are multiple-use PPAs, where some regulated human activities are permitted 28 , 45 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Small-scale fisheries catch more threatened elasmobranchs inside partially protected areas than in unprotected areas

Lorenzo

Calò²,

Franco³

et al. 2022

Nat Commun

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Elasmobranchs are heavily impacted by fishing. Catch statistics are grossly underestimated due to missing data from various fishery sectors such as small-scale fisheries. Marine Protected Areas are proposed as a tool to protect elasmobranchs and counter their ongoing depletion. We assess elasmobranchs caught in 1,256 fishing operations with fixed nets carried out in partially protected areas within Marine Protected Areas and unprotected areas beyond Marine Protected Areas borders at 11 locations in 6 Mediterranean countries. Twenty-four elasmobranch species were recorded, more than one-third belonging to the IUCN threatened categories (Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered). Catches per unit of effort of threatened and data deficient species were higher (with more immature individuals being caught) in partially protected areas than in unprotected areas. Our study suggests that despite partially protected areas having the potential to deliver ecological benefits for threatened elasmobranchs, poor small-scale fisheries management inside Marine Protected Areas could hinder them from achieving this important conservation objective.

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