Thursday July 25, 2024
University of Hawai’i —
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are having a positive spillover effect, producing more “trophy-size” fish just outside of the fully protected areas, and the effect is growing stronger over time. That’s according to research led by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa scientists at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) published in Science Advances. The research provides the first global assessment of the benefits of MPAs. “Trophy-size” refers to fish that are exceptionally long or heavy and are considered a rare, prized catch.
“This standardized global assessment illustrates the benefits that MPAs provide for recreational anglers, confirming the effectiveness of MPAs in enhancing fish biomass and local fisheries,” shared Simone Franceschini, principal investigator of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at HIMB. “Our study found that MPAs may take more than 20 years to show tangible spillover effects in the adjacent areas, which helps to set realistic expectations about the timeframe over which a marine reserve can be expected to have this type of effect on surrounding fisheries.”