| Summary: | Since 2011 fishing is fully or partially prohibited in marine protected areas (MPAs) of the natural park “Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina” (PNSACV, SW Portugal). In other areas of this park, as well as in adjacent marine areas, intensive fisheries are made for subsistence, commercial use or recreation. Recreational fishing is common along this coast, namely on rocky bottoms and through shore or boat angling.
Protection effects were assessed in 2012 and 2013 with experimental shore and boat angling, involving skilled recreational anglers. Rocky habitats of the northern half of PNSACV were sampled in one or two MPAs (“Ilha do Pessegueiro”, “Cabo Sardão”) and several control areas.
Shore angling used fresh sardines as bait and ground bait during ca. 90 minutes per area, period and angler. Shore anglers (3-4 in each period) sampled one MPA (two areas in “Ilha do Pessegueiro”) and four control areas in three periods from July to November 2013. Boat angling used fresh bait (mostly shrimps, squids or clams) during ca. 60 minutes per area, period and angler (average depth - 17.6 m). Boat anglers (3-5 in each period) sampled four periods per year during summer 2012 (two areas in “Ilha do Pessegueiro” MPA and four control areas) and 2013 (two areas in each MPA and four control areas per MPA). Fish or shellfish caught were identified to species and measured (total length) or fresh weighted, respectively, and released when caught in MPAs.
Multivariate analyses of the abundance of fish caught by size class found significant effects of protection in shore angling total weight (higher values in MPA). Lack of significant effects of protection may be due to the fact that MPAs are still recent. Replication in time, within a monitoring programme, is recommended to assess the ecological effects of these conservation measures.
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