Conservation and fisheries effects of spawning aggregation marine protected areas: What we know, where we should go, and what we need to get there

摘要: There is a global trend in the depletion of transient reef fish spawning aggregations (“FSAs”), making them primary target for management with marine protected areas (MPAs). Here, we review observed and likely effectiveness FSA MPAs, discuss how future studies could fill knowledge gaps, provide recommendations MPA design based on species’ life history behaviour, enforcement potential, goals. Modelling indicate that MPAs can increase spawning-stock biomass normalize sex ratio protogynous populations, unless fishing mortality remains high outside sites times. In field, observations no change or continued decline are more common than population recovery. When empirical suggest may not benefit productivity recovery, extenuating factors such as insufficient time since creation, poor lack enforcement, inadequate design, poorly defined objectives generally blamed rather failure concept. Results from both modelling literature improve exploitable fisheries yields; however, investigations currently too limited to draw conclusions this point. To implement effective additional work, long-term monitoring programmes at sites, collections fisheries-dependent data required, greater attention paid area closures. We recommend harmonized, adaptive approach combines measures achieve explicitly stated objectives. Conservation and, therefore, an overall reduction rates should be targeted first. Fisheries build conservation objectives, they require while maintaining sufficient access biomass. Communication among researchers, regulatory agencies, park authorities, fishers will paramount action, along significant funds implementation enforcement.