Fish biomass increase after a four-year trawl ban in the Gulf of Castellammare (NW Sicily, Mediterranean Sea)

摘要: This paper deals with a year-round trawl ban implemented in 1990 the Gulf of Castellammare (NW Sicily, Mediterranean Sea) over an area about 200 km 2 , purpose fish stock rebuilding. Artisanal and recreational fishing were permitted Gulf. To assess effect on abundance demersal resources, CPUE from experimental surveys carried out before (spring 1987 1989) 4 years after it was place 1994) compared. Sampling design based three depth strata (10‐50, 51‐100, 101‐200 m); 21 30 hauls made ban, respectively. Eleven target species (9 finfish cephalopods) as well total catch used for comparisons. The underwent 8-fold increase biomass four-year all considered increase, ranging 1.2-fold musky octopus (Eledone moschata) to 497-fold gurnard (Lepidotrigla cavillone). only decrease horned cirrhosa). A management strategy trawling bans may prove useful, especially areas where multispecies multigear artisanal fisheries make up large part industry. promising results obtained indicate approach which might be practicable pre-existing data useful traditional assessment are poor, or totally lacking, resources already at risk overexploitation. # 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.