Integration of No‐Take Marine Reserves in the Assessment of Data‐Limited Fisheries

Abstract

AbstractNo‐take marine reserves show great promise as conservation tools, yet the integration of reserves into assessment models for data‐limited fisheries management is just emerging. We develop a framework for integrating marine reserves into two data‐limited assessment models: spawning potential ratio (SPR) and yield per recruit (YPR). We use Monte Carlo simulation to test the applicability of the framework to a sedentary species with a dispersive larval stage under process and observation uncertainties. The reserve‐based approach increased estimates of spawning potential while reducing YPR and had a consistent estimation bias of less than 15%. Using the framework, we assessed a commercial fishery targeting grass rockfish (Sebastes rastrelliger) in southern California, USA and found that inclusion of reserves reduced the probability of overfishing. The reserve‐based assessment approach may create win–win policy solutions for conservation and fisheries objectives in many nearshore fisheries with well‐enforced marine reserves that target sedentary species with a dispersive larval stage.