Abstract
No-take zones may protect populations of targeted marine species and restore the integrity of marine ecosystems, but it is unclear whether they benefit top predators that rely on mobile pelagic fishes. In South Africa, foraging effort of breeding African penguins decreased by 30 per cent within three months of closing a 20 km zone to the competing purse-seine fisheries around their largest colony. After the fishing ban, most of the penguins from this island had shifted their feeding effort inside the closed area. Birds breeding at another colony situated 50 km away, whose fishing grounds remained open to fishing, increased their foraging effort during the same period. This demonstrates the immediate benefit of a relatively small no-take zone for a marine top predator relying on pelagic prey. Selecting such small protected areas may be an important first conservation step, minimizing stakeholder conflicts and easing compliance, while ensuring benefit for the ecosystems within these habitats.
Highlights
Oceans have been over-exploited for decades, mainly through industrial-scale fishing (Pauly et al 2002; Worm et al 2009), and to date 80 per cent of the world’s fish stocks are either fully or over-exploited (Food and Agriculture Organization 2009)
Sedentary fish populations and benthic organisms benefit from marine protected areas (MPAs) (Lester et al 2009), as to some extent do more mobile fishes (Apostolaki et al 2002)
African penguins share the care of their brood of one or two chicks between March and August, with typically one adult attending the nest when the partner is at sea
Summary
Oceans have been over-exploited for decades, mainly through industrial-scale fishing (Pauly et al 2002; Worm et al 2009), and to date 80 per cent of the world’s fish stocks are either fully or over-exploited (Food and Agriculture Organization 2009). Since 1992, the Convention on Biodiversity required the protection of 10 per cent of all marine areas, to reach the same target as for terrestrial environments. Sedentary fish populations and benthic organisms benefit from MPAs (Lester et al 2009), as to some extent do more mobile fishes (Apostolaki et al 2002). Export effects of MPAs benefit biodiversity and fisheries in adjoining areas (White et al 2008). Many top predators are threatened through direct exploitation, mortality on fishing gear
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