Fisheries Management in Marine Protected Areas

Fisheries management within marine protected areas (MPAs) seeks to reconcile the dual objectives of conserving biodiversity and sustaining fisheries yields. MPAs range from strictly enforced no-take zones to multiple-use reserves that permit regulated harvesting. Effective management relies on spatial planning and adaptive governance, integrating zoning schemes, gear restrictions, seasonal closures and catch limits. Ecosystem-based approaches consider trophic interactions and habitat connectivity, underpinned by monitoring of catch per unit effort and population health indicators. Social dimensions, including stakeholder participation, compliance and alternative livelihoods, are critical to long-term success. Climate variability and socio-economic drivers often modulate fishers’ behaviour, requiring flexible regulations and robust assessment methods. Globally, well-designed MPA networks contribute to the replenishment of overexploited stocks, bolster ecosystem resilience and deliver ecosystem services, but effectiveness varies according to local enforcement capacity, governance structures and community engagement.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have explored the resilience of a multiple-use reserve to systemic shocks. The societal and economic collapse of tourism in an insular MPA prompted a shift from export-oriented seafood markets towards domestic consumption, revealing pre-existing food-security vulnerabilities yet also demonstrating adaptive capacity among both consumers and fishers. Insights into localised shifts in harvesting strategies and marketing channels illustrate pathways for enhancing resilience to future disturbances, including climate change and pandemics.

Ecological assessments of habitat complexity and species assemblages have highlighted how substrate type, depth and anthropogenic pressures shape fish diversity in coastal MPAs. Comparative surveys across coral, rocky, artificial and mangrove habitats revealed marked differences in taxonomic diversity and evenness, with habitat fidelity persisting despite seasonal temperature fluctuations. Findings emphasise the importance of fine-scale habitat protection and targeted management of areas critical for species with limited mobility.

Fisheries Management in Marine Protected Areas publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in fisheries management in marine protected areas across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Marine Protected Area (MPA): A spatially defined marine region managed to achieve conservation and fishery objectives.

No-take zone: A fully protected area within an MPA where all extractive activities are prohibited.

Catch per unit effort (CPUE): A standardised measure of fishery yield relative to the amount of fishing effort expended.

Productivity–Susceptibility Analysis (PSA): A risk assessment tool that assesses species’ life-history productivity against fishery exposure to prioritise management actions.

Ecosystem-based management: An approach that considers ecological interactions, habitat connectivity and human uses to sustain ecosystem health and services.

References

1. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Galapagos Islands' seafood system from consumers’ perspectives. Scientific Reports (2024).
2. Fish diversity patterns along coastal habitats of the southeastern Galapagos archipelago and their relationship with environmental variables. Scientific Reports (2022).
3. So Long and Thanks for All the Fish: Overexploitation of the Regionally Endemic Galapagos Grouper Mycteroperca olfax (Jenyns, 1840). PLOS ONE (2016).
4. Vulnerability and Decision-Making in Multispecies Fisheries: A Risk Assessment of Bacalao (Mycteroperca olfax) and Related Species in the Galapagos’ Handline Fishery. Sustainability (2020).
5. Human and climatic drivers affect spatial fishing patterns in a multiple-use marine protected area: The Galapagos Marine Reserve. PLOS ONE (2020).