Marine Protected Areas

Cockoo wrasse

MPAs have long been a feature of overseas coastal marine management with the USA (Georges Bank), New Zealand (Leigh Marine Reserve) and Australia (Great Barrier Reef) being prominent examples. Most are legally enforceable. Scotland is notable for its lack of marine protected areas and reluctance to introduce progressive management measures. This section brings together reports and papers from overseas MPAs and reserves.

George Bank Experience

LARGE-SCALE CLOSED AREAS AS A FISHERY-MANAGEMENT TOOL IN TEMPERATE MARINE SYSTEMS: THE GEORGES BANK EXPERIENCE

Beginning in December of 1994, three large areas of historic importance to groundfish spawning and juvenile production on Georges Bank and in Southern New England, totaling 17,000 km2, were closed year-round to any gears capable of retaining groundfish (trawls, scallop dredges, gill nets, hook fishing). In the ensuing five years, the closed areas contributed significantly to reduced fishing mortality of depleted groundfish stocks.

Effects of Trawling and Dredging on Seafloor Habitat

Fishing has a variety of effects on marine habitats and ecosystems, depending on the spatial extent of
fishing, the level of fishing effort, and the type of gear.

After passage of the Sustainable US Fisheries Act in 1996, which required that fishery management plans address the effects of fishing on habitat, attention focused on how fishing affects the seafloor. The primary fisheries involved in the controversy are trawl and dredge fisheries, which tow gear over seafloor habitats and communities. A complete consideration of the effects of fishing on ecosystems

The effect of scallop dredging on Irish Sea benthos: experiments using a closed area

C. Bradshaw, L.O. Veale, A.S. Hill & A.R. Brand

A 2 km square area off the southwest coast of the Isle of Man (Irish Sea) has been closed to commercial fishing with mobile gear since March 1989. This area was heavily fished for Pecten maximus (Linnaeus, 1758) prior to closure, and the seabed immediately surrounding the closed area is still one of the most heavily dredged in the Irish Sea.

To what extent does upright sessile epifauna affect benthic biodiversity and community composition?

C. Bradshaw P. Collins A. R. Brand

Small-scale habitat complexity, including that caused by biological structures, is an important factor in structuring benthic communities and also sometimes in increasing biodiversity. The aim of this study was to
determine if hydroid colonies have an effect on the composition of benthic communities in the Irish Sea, and if so, which components of the fauna are affected. Forty-six seabed core samples were taken by divers from
two sites off Port Erin, Isle of Man, Irish Sea. Half of these were centred on hydroid colonies, half were not.

Anemones Marine reserves are defined as ocean areas that are fully protected from activities that remove animals and plants or alter habitats, except as needed for scientific monitoring. Examples of prohibited activities are fishing, aquaculture, dredging, and mining; activities such as swimming, boating, and scuba diving are usually allowed.

Marine reserves receive permanent protection, rather than seasonal or short-term protection. Because marine reserves protect habitats and the diversity of animals and plants that live in those habitats, marine reserves are a form of ecosystem protection that produces different outcomes from other management tools. As with any form of management, a marine reserve is only effective if its protection is enforced.

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