Fish Banks

Researchers outline how marine reserves can benefit fisheries across the globe
Harrison Tasoff
Two giant trevally chase a school of fusiliers

Two giant trevally chase a school of fusiliers in the German Channel, part of Palau’s Ngemelis no-take marine protected area. Photo Credit: Enric Sala

...“Marine protected areas are tools commonly used to conserve marine biodiversity by closing parts of the ocean to fishing,” said Reniel Cabral, an assistant researcher at UC Santa Barbara’s Environmental Market Solutions Lab. “This creates a potential dilemma when closures cause fishers to lose access to fishing grounds.”

A new study indicates that this need not be the case. The paper outlines where the benefits of fishing restrictions could enable a fishery to become more productive, even with the closures. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, lays the groundwork for expanding marine conservation alongside fishery catches....

MSI Principal Investigators