Abstract
The positive effects of reduced fishing pressure in marine protected areas (MPAs) are now well documented globally. Yet, evidence of MPA benefits from long-term replicated before-after control-impact (BACI) studies and their usefulness in protecting target species are still rare, especially in northern temperate areas. Scientific rigor in the monitoring of MPAs is considered important for obtaining trust and compliance and can increase interest and enthusiasm for the benefits of marine conservation. Off the coast of southern Norway, a MPA implementation process started up in 2002. Based on comprehensive consultations with local fishers and managers, four experimental lobster reserves were appointed in 2004. Two years later (2006), the reserves came into effect as the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries implemented regulations as a by-law of the Saltwater Fisheries Act that effectively banned all fixed gear. Long-term monitoring of the MPAs and adjacent control areas has enabled a rigorous scientific evaluation of the effects of these MPAs on lobster populations, including effects on density, growth, demography, behavior, and phenotypic diversity. As protection effects started to manifest, the lobster reserves attracted high public attention and were soon considered a credible supplement to traditional fisheries management. In the period from 2002 to 2021, more than 50 lobster reserves have been implemented in Norway. Here, we review the experiences since the lobster reserves were designated, implemented, and embraced by local communities in Norway, and over two decades have become an important tool for fishery management. Thoughts on the future of MPAs along the coast of Norway are discussed.
Highlights
Marine protected areas (MPAs) have received considerable attention over the last decades and are increasingly implemented around the world to enhance coastal fisheries, conserve biodiversity and to main tain ecosystems services [1,2,3]
When marine protected areas (MPAs) were introduced as a potential tool for rebuilding lobster populations in Norway in the early 2000s, the initial response from commercial fishers and managers was skepticism
Their main worry was the lack of documentation of the effect of MPAs in northern temperate coastal waters, providing low motivation for setting aside lobster fishing grounds to preserve lobster populations
Summary
Marine protected areas (MPAs) have received considerable attention over the last decades and are increasingly implemented around the world to enhance coastal fisheries, conserve biodiversity and to main tain ecosystems services [1,2,3]. There is extensive evidence that MPAs strengthen ecosystem resilience by protecting critical habitats [6], ecological processes [3,7], and benefit coastal fisheries through increased egg and larval production [8], or spillover of mobile juveniles and adults [9]. In near-shore coastal systems the pelagic eco systems converge with benthic ecosystems, creating dynamic and com plex food webs and modes of energy transfer [16]. With such an array of variables, evaluation of effects of MPAs on target populations across time and space represents an intricate scientific challenge. “Before-after control-impact” (BACI) approaches is a means to overcome this challenge and are, the recom mended method when evaluating MPA effects on target populations [17,18,19,20,21]
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