Modelling fishing location choice and spatial behaviour of fishers near a marine protected area

Riad Mohammed Sultan

doi:10.1108/maem-10-2019-0009

Abstract

PurposeThis study investigates whether higher catch rates near a marine protected area (MPA), and/or in other fishing areas within a choice set, attract more fishers. A survey conducted in the fishing grounds near an MPA located in south east of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean shows concentration of fishers in regions with lower catch rates. This contrasts with the predictions of the “fishing the line” hypothesis and the ideal free distribution (IFD) that fishers are likely to be attracted near the MPA with higher resource abundance.Design/methodology/approachUsing the random utility model as the framework and the random parameter logit (RPL) model, the study attempts to explain spatial behaviour of fishers. Expected catch and catch variability are modelled using the Just and Pope (JP) production function. The study also estimates effort elasticities with respect to expected catch and catch variability and simulates the relocation of effort from area closure.FindingsThe paper concludes that higher catch does attract fishers but is a partial and very restrictive explanation of fishers' behaviour. The “fishing the line” hypothesis does hold to some extent, but it should not be taken for granted that rising catch rates in adjacent waters will increase fishing pressure. The paper concludes that factors such as catch variability, distance from homeport to fishing ground, potential physical risk and attitudes towards risk of fishers affect spatial behaviour of fishers and should be considered for the placement and size of MPAs. The study also finds that the responsiveness of effort to catch rates is lowest in areas which are already heavily fished and easily accessible.Practical implicationsThe identification of fishing areas as complements (when fishing in one area increases fishing effort in another) and substitutes is valuable information for determining the placement and size of an MPA. A larger reserve is likely to have more displacement effect in this case than a smaller one. Therefore, a small or a network of a small reserve may be appropriate. The premise to select the site and size of the reserve is to avoid overconcentration of fishers in alternative fishing areas, which can be vulnerable to excessive fishing and unintended effects from fishers.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to an understanding of fishing behaviour and its impact on the configuration of marine reserves. It discusses the importance of effort elasticities to determine the placement and size of an MPA. Studies on this topic are very scanty in the Indian Ocean region. It also shows the application of location choice model, the RPL model and the JP production function in the fisheries sector for a small island.

Highlights

There is widespread agreement that marine protected areas (MPAs) or marine reserves generate conservation benefits (Smith et al, 2005; Lorenzen et al, 2010; Norse et al, 2010; Smith, 2010; Kamil et al, 2017)
In the years that follow its creation, it is expected that an MPA will increase the abundance of fish, and that this increase will lead to spillovers in the forms of adult and juvenile migration and the export of larvae to adjacent areas
To shed light on the above question, this study examines the determinants of fishers’ location choices in the adjacent waters of the Blue Bay Marine Park (BBMP) in the south-east coast of Mauritius and tests the hypothesis that whether rising catch rates will attract fishers at the border of the BBMP

Summary

Introduction

There is widespread agreement that marine protected areas (MPAs) or marine reserves generate conservation benefits (Smith et al, 2005; Lorenzen et al, 2010; Norse et al, 2010; Smith, 2010; Kamil et al, 2017). In the years that follow its creation, it is expected that an MPA will increase the abundance of fish, and that this increase will lead to spillovers in the forms of adult and juvenile migration and the export of larvae to adjacent areas These are important benefits to fisheries and are used to assess the effectiveness of marine reserves over a defined period of time (Chapman and Kramer, 1999; Gell and Roberts, 2003; Forcada et al, 2009; Norse, 2010; Bellier et al, 2013; Kamil et al, 2017; Lloret et al, 2018). The “fishing the line” hypothesis inevitably throws doubt on the effectiveness of marine reserves as remedies to fisheries degradation, since it suggests that fishing pressure is likely to increase in areas near reserves, and the fisheries may fall back to the same condition they were in before the reserve was created (Smith, 2004, 2005; Smith and Wilen, 2003; Daw, 2008; Hopf et al, 2016)

Objectives

Results

Conclusion