INCOFISH WP5 MPAs on Continental Shelves Fisheries and Ecosystem Management

Introduction Increasing profile of MPAs as a management tool based on small scale MPAs for site attached species. Examining the role of MPAs for management of large scale shelf fisheries in the context of ecosystem management. Emphasis on fisheries but where possible allow for the impacts of other marine users. Complex multispecies fisheries the ecosystems to be examined are comprised of a wide range of species with varying life histories and degrees of mobility, from sessile invertebrates to high mobile pelagic stocks.

Ecosystem effects of fisheries Direct reduction in targeted stock Direct reduction in non-target stock, or non-targeted portion of a stock (bycatch / discards) Alteration of marine food webs, due to the targeted, and accidental removal and damage of predator and prey species. Damage to habitat structure and functioning by fishing gear. (Benthic community structure / physical complexity / critical habitats)

Role of MPAs Single stock perspective: Site attached species - protect a quorum of spawning stock to safeguard future reproductive success and enhance yield out side the MPA due to larval dispersal and spill over. Mobile species – MPAs for mobile stocks are essentially a form of effort control, albeit with specific subtle differences to traditional effort control methods as in cases specific sub-stocks, age classes or aggregations can be selectively targeted or protected.

Role of MPAs Ecosystem perspective: Habitat protection – critical or fragile habitats can be protected from the damaging effects of fishing gear. Species overlap – species with seasonal or ontogenetic migrations can be preferentially targeted whilst they are in specific areas to aid multispecies catches or reduce bycatch. Selective gear restrictions – in cases where specific gear types cause wider ecosystem effects it may be possible to allow the continuation of fishing in the area with alternative less damaging techniques.

Objectives Review the nature of three selected ecosystems and the role and effectiveness and operation of selected existing MPAs within these ecosystems. Examine the need and potential role of further MPAs within these ecosystems. Run simulations of MPA effectiveness with Ecopath models developed in conjunction with WP4 for the selected ecosystems. Examine effects of size and placement on the effectiveness of MPAs for selected ecosystems. Develop supporting models to supplement and aid interpretation of the Ecopath output, or to examine situations that can not be explicitly tested with the Ecopath models. Develop conceptual model for the development of MPA networks on the basis of results from the above investigations.

Project Partners Prof Nick PoluninNewcastle Uni, UK Will Le Quesne Dr John Pinnegar CEFAS, UK Dr Steve Mackinson Prof Francisco Arreguín-Sánchez CICIMAR, Mexico Manuel Zetina-Rejón, Co-workers Prof Haigen Xu NIES, China Co-workers

Case Studies

Case Studies - North Sea Approximate boundary of ICES area IV - North Sea

In the North Sea there are a number of areas closed fishing. None of these exclude all fishing activities. ‘Boxes’ were established for very different purposes (e.g. to allow particular species to recover, to prevent accidental bycatch, to protect juveniles, to protect seabirds). ‘Boxes’ have had varying success – some have worked, some have completely failed! Case Studies - North Sea

Case Studies - Gulf of Mexico Yucatán Campeche Laguna de Terminos Campeche Sound Continental Shelf of Yucatan Gulf of Mexico Campeche Bank ecosystem Proposed study area Protected area Proposed protected areas Main seasonal movements Main inputs of production

Case Studies - Yellow Sea Bohai Sea

Background to WP5 North Sea: many existing data, strong modelling interests, much current work on large MPAs (‘boxes’) by CEFAS. Mexico: some detail in existing data and some ecopath modelling under way for Campache Bank ecosystem by CICIMAR. China: existing data uncertain, no ecopath modelling etc by NIES, but a preliminary ecopath model has been developed for the Bohai Sea (Tong et al).

Ecosystem model Model simulations will include: size and placement of MPAs protection of critical and fragile habitats differential effect of gears in a specified locations effect of redistribution of fishing effort outside MPAs protecting core stocks of site attached species accounting for seasonal or ontogenetic migrations consistent ‘themes’ coming out of the analysis of the role of MPAs in three different ecosystems.

Ecopath model Fisheries data? Marine bio/ oceanographic data? Other data, e.g. wildlife? Ecosim model Ecospace model Inputs for N Sea and Mexico from WP4 Inputs for China only for WP5 Supporting models Generic/theor- etical data

Panels display biomass distribution predictions for each functional group Starting with Ecopath baseline, Ecospace iterates towards a solution wherein the biomass of each species is spread over a number of cells, depending on suitable habitat, the predation they experience and the availability of prey (Walters et al. 1999). Example Ecospace output for the North sea model