Benefits of protection in a marine protected area: the example of the Professor Luíz Saldanha Marine Park Karim Erzini, CCMAR, Universidade do Algarve CIMAR Ciência 2010, Lisboa, 7 de Julho de 2010

Luíz Saldanha Marine Park (LSMP)

Three levels of protection TOTAL: No commercial fishing or recreational activity of any kind Full implementation only in August 2009 PARTIAL: Diving allowed No recreational fishing Commercial fishing: only jigs for cephalopods and octopus traps at least 200m from the shore COMPLEMENTARY: Sport fishing allowed Commercial fishing: jigs, hook and line, traps and nets (1/4 nm from shore)

Multiple stakeholders: commercial and recreational fishermen, recreational boaters, divers different stakeholder expectations are the objectives of the MPA being attained? what performance indicators to use?

Performance indicators for marine protected areas (MPAs) Management: – Increase management efficiency – Increase information available Social: – Increase community involvement in management – Increase community benefits Biological / Environmental: – Increase quantity of fish – Increase mean size – Change in community composition – More elasmobranchs Economic: – Increase in catches – Increased income

Null hypotheses 1.Mean sizes are the same in the different protection level areas 2.Catch rates (relative abundances) are the same in the different protection level areas 3.Abundance of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) is the same in the different protection level areas 4.Species composition is the same 5.The values of the catches are the same

seasonal fishing trials in the different protection levels 500 m of trammel nets fished overnight catches measured on board and returned (alive) Monitoring with trammel nets

Source: Millner (1985) Why trammel nets ? Variety of catching mechanisms, including“pocketing” or “trammeling” wide size range more species than all other static gears (e.g. 129 species in 40 sets in the Algarve)

Location of trammel net sets 500 m of trammel net per set 24 hour sets two depth strata: 10-18m (sand) 30-40m (mud) seasonal monitoring

Mean estimated weight of all fish caught (+ 1 s.e.) Is fish size related to level of protection?

Is fish abundance related to level of protection? Bony fish catch per unit effort (n per 1000 m of trammel net)

Commercial invertebrates CPUE (n per 1000m) Is invertebrate abundance related to level of protection?

Is elasmobranch abundance related to level of protection? Elasmobranch CPUE (n per 1000m)

Multivariate Analysis: ANOSIM - Significant community differences (P<0.01) between ComplementaryPartial; ComplementaryTotal Complementary and Partial; Complementary and Total PartialTotal - Partial vs Total: communities not significantly different Is community composition changing / different?

Trammel net species diversity Bony fishes65 Elasmobranchs12 Crustacea13 Cephalopoda3 Cnidaria3 Bivalvia6 Gastropoda5 Echinodermata12 Tunicata1 Total120

Identification not confirmed Torpedo cf. mackayana Known distribution for T. mackayana: Eastern Atlantic - Senegal to Angola Psetta maxima Raja brachyura Microchirus variegatus Spatangus purpureus

Mean value of the catch (€) per 1000m of trammel net Is the value of the catch related to level of protection?

Conclusions Already indications of differences between the different protection areas in sizes, diversity and catch value Key factors: – use of nets (trammel and gillnets: low selectivity) in Complementary areas – Jigs and traps (high selectivity) in the Partial areas Expected trends: – Difference in diversity and CPUE between Complementary areas and other protection levels will increase (especially for elasmobranchs, commercial invertebrates and some species of fish) Future studies: – Acoustic telemetry to study spillover and habitat use of key species – Continued monitoring with trammel nets and traps and underwater surveys

Thank you!