Protected Area Status Research Articles

中国海洋生态保护制度的转型发展--从海洋保护区走向海洋生态红线区

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 中国海洋生态保护制度的转型发展--从海洋保护区走向海洋生态红线区 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201405070897 作者: 作者单位: 国家海洋局第二海洋研究所,国家海洋局第二海洋研究所 国家海洋局海洋生态系统与生物地球化学重点实验室,国家海洋局第二海洋研究所 国家海洋局海洋生态系统与生物地球化学重点实验室,国家海洋局第二海洋研究所 国家海洋局海洋生态系统与生物地球化学重点实验室,国家海洋局第二海洋研究所 国家海洋局海洋生态系统与生物地球化学重点实验室 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 海洋公益性行业科研专项资助项目(201405007,201305043-3);国家海洋局第二海洋研究所基本科研业务费专项(JT1203) Reform of the marine ecological protection system in China: from marine protected areas to marine ecological redline regions Author: Affiliation: Second Institute of Oceanography,State Oceanic Administration,,,, Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:海洋生态环境的持续恶化与生态学认知的提高使海洋生态红线区管理制度成为必然。总结了中国海洋保护区现状与存在问题;分析了发展海洋生态红线的必要性、区划原则、概念及组成体系;提出海洋保护区与海洋生态红线区可分别籍空间统一性、决策统一性、工作内容与管理要求的一致性相关联,海洋保护区的核心、关键和重要因素与海洋生态红线的范围划定、宏观应对策略制定、微观管理规定一一对应。对海洋保护区管理向海洋生态红线区划与管理的转变给出了若干建议,认为海洋生态红线区划指标体系可以参照海洋保护区绩效评估、保护区选划与评估指标;并从海洋生态红线的尺度,陆海统筹的生态系统格局-结构\过程-机理,复杂生态系统与海洋生态红线的结合,海洋生态红线基点观测等方面对海洋生态红线的研究和工作方向进行了展望。 Abstract:With the sustained deterioration of marine ecosystems and environment and the improvement of ecological theory, management of the marine ecological redline regions (MERRs) becomes inevitable. We summarize the status and problems of the marine protected areas (MPAs) in China and analyzed the requirements, principles, concepts and system of the MERRs. We suggest that the MPAs and MERRs can be correlated by the similarities in the spatial unity, decision consistency, work contents and management of the objects. The boundary determination, policy decision and management regulation of the MERRs could in respect to the kernel factor, critical factor and important factor of the MPAs. We suggest the methods for the MERRs management at the level of the marine ecosystem, species and habitat. The index system of MERRs zoning can refer to the MPAs selected and evaluated indices. The scale of MERRs, the pattern-structure-process-mechanism of the land-sea ecosystem, combining of complex ecosystem and MERRs, and observation of MERRs base station are the aspects that should be focused on in the future. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Logging Activity Adversely Impacts Primate Diversity and Density in the Kwabre Rainforest of Ghana

Knowledge on the impacts of logging activity on inhabitant primate species in Kwabre Rainforest, Ghana, is vital for the development of a comprehensive conservation and management plan. With this background, primate density and diversity were recorded along line transects in logged and unlogged areas (strata) to assess the impact of logging activity on these parameters. Six distinct primate species were confirmed including Roloway monkey (Cercopithecus roloway, listed as endangered in the IUCN List of Threatened Species), white-naped mangabey (Cercocebus lunulatus, vulnerable), and Geoffroy’s black-and-white colobus (Colobus vellerosus, vulnerable). There was a significant difference (Mann-WhitneyUtest:U=36.0,p<0.01) in primate encounter rates between the logged and unlogged strata with higher species diversity in unlogged stratum (H=2.91) compared to the logged stratum (H=1.44). Regression analysis indicated a significant effect (r2=0.945,p<0.01) of logging on primate encounter rates. Our results suggest that logging activity can alter composition of primate communities. One option to forestall further forest degradation and its adverse effects on primates would be to grant the Kwabre Rainforest protected area status under Ghanaian law and manage it under an integrated conservation plan that includes neighbouring Ankasa Conservation Area in Ghana and Tanoé Forest in Cote d’Ivoire.

Arguments for Integrative Management of Protected Areas in the Cities – Case Study in Bucharest City

Protected areas should be considered as a complementary form of anthropogenic environmental intervention geared towards restoring its balance by removing the causes of its visible degradation. Taking into consideration the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems, the aim of the study is to argue the importance of integrative management of urban protected areas, based on a case study with respect to the Romanian capital (Văcăreşti wetland, in the built-up area of Bucharest city). The study objects are: addressing the conceptual issues of protected areas and in particular in urban areas; analyzing the geographical evolution of the study area (since 1700), as a determinant of the present situation; highlighting the relationships among biodiversity, ecosystem services, public use and social perception, as strong arguments in favor of the integrative management of the investigated territory. The research methodology was focused on reviewing national and international literature regarding protected areas (especially urban ones); a diachronic analysis of the study area identifying the evolution of human-environment relationships over historical times; applying the survey method in order to analyze the target group perceptions on the constraints and opportunities stemming from the urban protected area status of theVăcăreşti wetland. The main techniques employed for our scientific approach were the following: using GIS applications for diachronic and synchronic analysis; processing the semi-structured interviews in QSR NVivo 11 software; monitoring newspapers, TV channels, social networks and discussion forums. This analyses offered us opportunity to set up the main arguments for integrative management of the study area, under the circumstances of contradictions between the valuable natural and semi-natural potential and current anthropogenic and heterogeneous exploitation, leaded by the group interests.

Habitat occupancy patterns and activity rate of native mammals in tropical fragmented peat swamp reserves in Peninsular Malaysia

Intensive land use plays a major role in tropical peat swamp deforestation in Southeast Asia. In Peninsular Malaysia, the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest (NSPSF) is the second largest remaining peatland ecosystem. Although the NSPSF is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot area in the region, this peat swamp forest is rapidly shrinking because of the expansion of commercial oil palm agriculture. More than 87% of the NSPSF has been designated as reserves, but in reality, this is not comparable to protected area status. The NSPSF is under constant threats from forest conversions, forest fires, and road constructions. Faunal biodiversity loss is likely to occur in the NSPSF unless immediate action is taken by stakeholders. To determine the habitat occupancy and activity rate of native mammals, we conducted camera-trap survey at 45 sites located within the NSPSF. From a total survey effort of 2565 trap nights in an area of 778km2, 16 mammal species were recorded. Our data provide vital information on the occupancy of high conservation value species in the NSPSF. However, we did not record Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) and Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris), nor did we find any indirect evidence such as footprints, indicating that these species are extirpated from this region. We found that mammal activity rate responded differently to in situ habitat quality and landscape factors according to feeding guild. Government stakeholders should focus on prohibiting further forest conversion and prioritize the upgrading NSPSF’s conservation status from reserve to protected area.

Desarrollo de un índice de sostenibilidad ambiental, a partir de indicadores físico-biológicos, como herramienta de gestión ambiental municipal para Guatemala

En Guatemala a partir de los años ochenta, se desarrolló un marco legal e institucional en el tema ambiental, pero a pesar deello la degradación de éste y el deterioro de los recursos naturales se han convertido en un foco crítico y hasta el momento no se cuenta con indicadores propios, que permitan comparar la sostenibilidad ambiental a nivel municipal. Existen índices globales, sin embargo estos presentan inconvenientes al momento de utilizarlos a nivel municipal, ya que la escala es a nivel de país y necesitan de un gran número de variables, muchas de las cuales no se tiene información. Con la presente investigación se desarrolló un índice de sostenibilidad ambiental que permite comparar el estado del ambiente a nivel municipal, el cual se validó por medio de herramientas participativas y estadísticas con la finalidad que el mismo pueda aplicarse a nivel nacional. El índice de sostenibilidad ambiental (ISAGT) quedó conformado por siete indicadores con su respectiva ponderación, a través del siguiente modelo: ISAGT = ICUT (conflicto de uso del territorio)*0.14 + ICAS (calidad de agua superficial)*0.12 + IGR(gestión de residuos)*0.14 + ICF (cobertura forestal)*0.15 + ICAP (cobertura áreas protegidas)*0.21 + IPFEAP (presencia floraendémica)*0.15 + IEVAP (estado evolutivo de las áreas protegidas)*0.09.

Effects of land tenure and protected areas on ecosystem services and land use preferences in Norway

Prior research has examined the relationship between physical landscapes and ecosystem services, but the distribution of ecosystem services by land tenure and protected areas is less developed. We analyze the spatial distribution of participatory mapped ecosystem values, as indicators of ecosystem services, to determine their relationship with land tenure in southern Norway, a region characterized by private, village, and state commons lands overlaid with designated protected areas managed by local governments. We found land tenure to be a significantly stronger predictor of the distribution of ecosystem values and land use preferences than protected area status. Protected area designations layered on older land tenures exert relatively little influence on how Norwegians perceive ecosystem values and land use preferences. The exception is a few iconic parks located on state commons where participants mapped a higher proportion of biological diversity and undisturbed, natural qualities. Hunting and fishing opportunities were especially important in village commons, whereas social interactions, gathering, and cultural identity clustered near settlements on private lands. The cultural ecosystem values of recreation and scenery were most frequently identified, but were unrelated to both land tenure and protected areas. Cabins, tourism development, and snowmobile use were important land uses to regional residents and most controversial in the commons and protected areas, but the overall potential for land use conflict appears highest on private land. Participants mapped preferences to increase predator control across all tenures reflecting the strong interest in large game hunting and livestock grazing in the region. Overlapping tenures that were in place before the designation of protected areas are important for understanding conservation effectiveness and the potential for land use conflict.

An ontological system for interoperable spatial generalisation in biodiversity monitoring

Semantic heterogeneity remains a barrier to data comparability and standardisation of results in different fields of spatial research. Because of its thematic complexity, differing acquisition methods and national nomenclatures, interoperability of biodiversity monitoring information is especially difficult. Since data collection methods and interpretation manuals broadly vary there is a need for automatised, objective methodologies for the generation of comparable data-sets. Ontology-based applications offer vast opportunities in data management and standardisation. This study examines two data-sets of protected heathlands in Germany and Belgium which are based on remote sensing image classification and semantically formalised in an OWL2 ontology. The proposed methodology uses semantic relations of the two data-sets, which are (semi-)automatically derived from remote sensing imagery, to generate objective and comparable information about the status of protected areas by utilising kernel-based spatial reclassification. This automatised method suggests a generalisation approach, which is able to generate delineation of Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) of the European biodiversity Natura 2000 network. Furthermore, it is able to transfer generalisation rules between areas surveyed with varying acquisition methods in different countries by taking into account automated inference of the underlying semantics. The generalisation results were compared with the manual delineation of terrestrial monitoring. For the different habitats in the two sites an accuracy of above 70% was detected. However, it has to be highlighted that the delineation of the ground-truth data inherits a high degree of uncertainty, which is discussed in this study.

DEFINING PRIORITIES IN THE MIDST OF UNCERTAINTY: THE CEPF ECOSYSTEM PROFILE PROCESS FOR WALLACEA

Conservation priorities in Wallacea were identified to inform planning of a Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) grants facility. Priorities were defined using locality data for 560 globally threatened species which occur in Wallacea, as defined by IUCN. 251 terrestrial and freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) were identified. Locality records also allowed the identification of 74 marine KBAs, and information on range and habitat was used to identify a further 66 candidate marine KBAs. Approximately one-third of terrestrial KBAs have protected area status. To help focus conservation efforts, twenty-four terrestrial KBAs with single-site endemics and critically endangered species were identified. The study highlights the lack of data on many species, and the lack of a centralized repository for biodiversity information on Wallacea. Urgent research needs include survey work to confirm the presence of species in more sites, taxonomic work to clarify the status of some species and sub-species, and expert-lead threat assessments to update the Red List.

Humanised Landscapes in Quebec – A Protected Area Status Prey to the Complexity of the Landscape

Repondant a une demande sociale croissante, le gouvernement quebecois instaurait en 2002 le statut de paysage humanise. Inscrit dans la loi sur la conservation du patrimoine naturel et relevant de la categorie V de l’Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature (UICN), ce statut vise la protection et la mise en valeur d’aires « […] constituees a des fins de protection de la biodiversite d’un territoire habite […] dont le paysage et les composantes naturelles ont ete faconnes par des activites humaines en harmonie avec la nature […] ». En retenant la biodiversite comme premiere porte d’entree pour la prise en compte du paysage, le gouvernement quebecois empruntait une voie originale. Or, 12 ans plus tard, aucun paysage humanise n’a encore ete cree. Comment expliquer la difficulte du statut a trouver place dans la pratique ? Dans quelle mesure la predominance accordee a la biodiversite et donc a la dimension naturelle du paysage peut-elle l’expliquer ? Apres avoir presente les grandes caracteristiques du statut, l’article retrace les principaux travaux qui ont alimente la demarche gouvernementale en matiere de paysage et conduit a la reconduction de la division entre nature et culture. Sur ces bases, il propose une analyse pour comprendre les principaux facteurs auxquels se heurte ce statut. L’analyse met ainsi en evidence les limites des approches sectorielles qui, dans le present cas, ont conduit a reduire le paysage au domaine de l’ecologie naturelle. En revelant les limites de telles approches, ce statut pourrait devenir un veritable laboratoire pour l’actualisation des structures qui encadrent l’amenagement du territoire quebecois.

The influence of differing protected area status and environmental factors on the macroinvertebrate fauna of temperate austral wetlands

One means of conserving wetlands is to designate the area around them as ‘protected’. Although many different types of protected areas exist, ranging from international (Ramsar-listed) to local importance, there is little information on how the type of protection influences biodiversity conservation. Studies of the effectiveness of protected area systems are a priority, if we are to understand their importance and design systems effectively. Many Tasmanian wetlands are regarded as having high to very high conservation values with more than 60% located within protected areas. This study tested macroinvertebrate richness and assemblage responses to a range of environmental attributes and differing types of protected area status at 66 protected Tasmanian (Australian) wetlands. Two hundred and eighteen taxa were identified with an average of 33 species (or morphospecies) and 18 families recorded per wetland. The wetland assemblages were idiosyncratic, four families contributed 21% of the total recorded and only two families contributed greater than 10%. Wetlands were not significantly nested on the basis of the composition of their macroinvertebrate assemblages. No single environmental attribute had a strong relationship with macroinvertebrate richness or assemblage composition and neither species richness nor assemblage composition varied significantly between different types of protected areas. Although the majority of protected area types were designed to support terrestrial conservation objectives rather than wetland values, our results suggest that the latter were also afforded protection. The state of the proximal zone (the terrestrial zone within 50m of the wetland edge) and the type of aquatic habitat present (macrophyte or sediment-dominated substrates) were the most important determinants of macroinvertebrate richness and assemblage composition across all types of protected wetlands. These results suggest that for temperate austral wetlands located within protected areas, the macroinvertebrate fauna will be best conserved by minimal disturbance of proximal lands.

Anticipating novel conservation risks of increased human access to remote regions with warming

The consequences for wildlife conservation of climate change facilitation of human access to currently remote areas are poorly considered but potentially significant. Focusing on species of cultural and conservation concern in the Arctic and Tropics, we advocate a re-evaluation of the process of assigning protected area status to account for such risks. We identify areas currently lacking protected status in both regions that are prone to loss of wildlife habitat due to increased human access and direct climate change, and outline measures for updating their conservation status. Policy foresight along these lines will help buffer wildlife against previously unanticipated consequences of climate change.

Effectiveness of protected areas in the Western Caucasus before and after the transition to post-socialism

Economic and social transition periods can have strong negative effects for the environment and for wildlife. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 provides a striking example of social turmoil and transition to a new society. It is unclear, however, how humans affected the environment in the course of the collapse, and if institutions designed to safeguard the environment continued to fulfill their intended role. Our goal was to assess the impact of the collapse of the Soviet Union on forest canopy removal rates in protected areas, and how these rates varied by protected area status and over time. We monitored forest canopy removal within and outside of protected areas using a 1985–2010 time series of Landsat satellite images from the Western Caucasus. On average, we found surprisingly low annual forest canopy removal rates of only 0.03%. The highest canopy removal inside of protected areas of all types occurred after 2000. Among the protected areas, we found the highest canopy removal rates within Sochi National Park, attributable to construction for the Olympic Games and in spite of the Park’s protected status. Overall, it is encouraging that forest canopy removal rates in protected areas in the Western Caucasus are far lower than in other Russian regions. Because many local endemic plant and animal species are found in the Caucasus region, clear cuts are prohibited, and this regulation appears to be effective. However, forest canopy removal within protected areas caused by major social and political events such as the Olympic Games is of concern.

Politiques publiques, objets intermédiaires et conflits de cadrages: le cas de la configuration territoriale autour d’une route dans l’Amazonie Bolivienne

Les politiques publiques de la colonisation et la conservation dans l’Amazonie souvent sont contradictoires dans les logiques d’action et la manière d’envisager le territoire et les populations. Les cadres juridiques et sa mise en situation pratique ont des effets performatifs dans la configuration des identités et la transformation du paysage culturel et naturel. Le texte décrit les conflits socio-environnementaux autour de la route Yucumo-Rurrenabaque qui sépare d’un côté, Pilón Lajas un territoire de double statut juridique à la fois Aire protégée et Territoire collectif indigène titré a faveur des peuples Tsimane et Mosetene, et d’un autre côté, une aire de colonisation de communautés paysans de migrants andins Quechua et Aymara venus en Amazonie bolivienne á la suite de projets de développement rural et de colonisation des années 70. L’article décrit comment les conflits environnementaux sont activés localement par une route rudimentaire en tant qu’objet intermédiaire d’une politique publique et comment les différents cadrages juridiques imposés sur sa zone d’influence configurent les identités, les représentations et les pratiques de gestion de ressources naturelles de divers acteurs locaux.

Deforestation and fragmentation of natural forests in the upper Changhua watershed, Hainan, China: implications for biodiversity conservation.

Hainan, the largest tropical island in China, belongs to the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot. The Changhua watershed is a center of endemism for plants and birds and the cradle of Hainan's main rivers. However, this area has experienced recent and ongoing deforestation and habitat fragmentation. To quantify habitat loss and fragmentation of natural forests, as well as the land-cover changes in the Changhua watershed, we analyzed Landsat images obtained in 1988, 1995, and 2005. Land-cover dynamics analysis showed that natural forests increased in area (97,909 to 104,023ha) from 1988 to 1995 but decreased rapidly to 76,306ha over the next decade. Rubber plantations increased steadily throughout the study period while pulp plantations rapidly expanded after 1995. Similar patterns of land cover change were observed in protected areas, indicating a lack of enforcement. Natural forests conversion to rubber and pulp plantations has a general negative effect on biodiversity, primarily through habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation analysis showed that natural forests area was reduced and patch number increased, while patch size and connectivity decreased. These land-cover changes threatened local biodiversity, especially island endemic species. Both natural forests losses and fragmentation should be stopped by strict enforcement to prevent further damage. Preserving the remaining natural forests and enforcing the status of protected areas should be a management priority to maximize the watershed's biodiversity conservation value.

Forest protection and tenure status: The key role of indigenous peoples and protected areas in Panama

Using recent land cover maps, we used matching techniques to analyze forest cover and assess effectiveness in avoiding deforestation in three main land tenure regimes in Panama, namely protected areas, indigenous territories and non-protected areas. We found that the tenure status of protected areas and indigenous territories (including comarcas and claimed lands) explains a higher rate of success in avoided deforestation than other land tenure categories, when controlling for covariate variables such us distance to roads, distance to towns, slope, and elevation. In 2008 protected areas and indigenous territories had the highest percentage of forest cover and together they hosted 77% of Panama's total mature forest area. Our study shows the promises of matching techniques as a potential tool for demonstrating and quantifying conservation efforts. We therefore propose that matching could be integrated to methodological approaches allowing compensating forests’ protectors. Because conserving forest carbon stocks in forested areas of developing countries is an essential component of REDD+ and its future success, the discussion of our results is relevant to countries or jurisdictions with high forest cover and low deforestation rates.

Regeneration and tree species diversity of Sitakund Botanical Garden and Eco-park, Chittagong, Bangladesh

Anthropogenic disturbances influence plant regeneration and species diversity; which impact the conservation status of protected areas. A study was conducted in the Sitakund Botanical Garden and Eco-park (SBGE); Chittagong; Bangladesh to analyze the natural regeneration and tree species diversity in disturbed and less disturbed zones. Stratified and systematic random sampling was used to select 50 sample plots from each of the two zones. A total number of 109 plant species from 43 families were recorded in the study; of which 93 species were of natural origin while the rest were planted. From the species with natural origin 66 were tree species; 9 were shrub species and 18 were climbers. Species richness; density of regeneration and disturbance index in the height classes (0 - 0.5 m) and (dbh > 6 cm) indicated significant differences between the zones. The study analyzed how disturbances affect species diversity in the area. It was found that species richness and basal area are negatively related with disturbances. Moreover; density (N/ha) of trees was more likely to decrease with increasing tree height that reflects the huge demand of local people to harvest large trees as part of their income generating activities. The study findings have implications for future management decisions of the SGBE. To restore these ecosystems; management should focus on both biodiversity conservation and providing benefits to local people without hampering forest ecosystems.

Response to comment on "High-resolution global maps of 21st-century forest cover change".

Tropek et al. critique the Hansen et al. global forest loss paper in terms of its utility and accuracy. Both criticisms suffer from a miscomprehension of the definition of forest employed as well as the requirements of product validation. Utility of the product is enhanced through its integration with forest type, carbon stock, protected area status, and other ancillary data.

The impact of land abandonment on species richness and abundance in the Mediterranean Basin: a meta-analysis.

Land abandonment is common in the Mediterranean Basin, a global biodiversity hotspot, but little is known about its impacts on biodiversity. To upscale existing case-study insights to the Pan-Mediterranean level, we conducted a meta-analysis of the effects of land abandonment on plant and animal species richness and abundance in agroforestry, arable land, pastures, and permanent crops of the Mediterranean Basin. In particular, we investigated (1) which taxonomic groups (arthropods, birds, lichen, vascular plants) are more affected by land abandonment; (2) at which spatial and temporal scales the effect of land abandonment on species richness and abundance is pronounced; (3) whether previous land use and current protected area status affect the magnitude of changes in the number and abundance of species; and (4) how prevailing landforms and climate modify the impacts of land abandonment. After identifying 1240 potential studies, 154 cases from 51 studies that offered comparisons of species richness and abundance and had results relevant to our four areas of investigation were selected for meta-analysis. Results are that land abandonment showed slightly increased (effect size = 0.2109, P<0.0001) plant and animal species richness and abundance overall, though results were heterogeneous, with differences in effect size between taxa, spatial-temporal scales, land uses, landforms, and climate. In conclusion, there is no “one-size-fits-all” conservation approach that applies to the diverse contexts of land abandonment in the Mediterranean Basin. Instead, conservation policies should strive to increase awareness of this heterogeneity and the potential trade-offs after abandonment. The strong role of factors at the farm and landscape scales that was revealed by the analysis indicates that purposeful management at these scales can have a powerful impact on biodiversity.

Smallholder Specialization Strategies along the Forest Transition Curve in Southwestern Amazonia

Rural specialization strategies can be examined within the forest transition framework. We compared smallholder livelihood strategies between neighboring southwestern Amazonian sites at different stages along the forest transition curve. Surveys of 243 households in Pando, Bolivia and Acre, Brazil, within and outside of two major protected areas, confirmed a higher reliance on forest-based income in forest-rich Pando than in Acre. In Acre, forest reliance was higher in the protected area than outside, where forest cover was lower and households were more livestock-dependent. Country context and protected area status were critical to explaining different smallholder specialization strategies in similar biophysical environments.

Depth Refuge and the Impacts of SCUBA Spearfishing on Coral Reef Fishes

In recent decades, spearfishing with SCUBA has emerged as an efficient method for targeting reef fish in deeper waters. However, deeper waters are increasingly recognised as a potential source of refuge that may help sustain fishery resources. We used a combination of historical catch data over a 20-year time period and fishery-independent surveys to investigate the effects of SCUBA spearfishing on coral reef fish populations in the southern Mariana Islands. Two jurisdictions were studied; Guam, where SCUBA spearfishing is practiced, and the nearby Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), where SCUBA spearfishing has been banned since 2003. Fishery-independent data were collected using baited remote underwater stereo-video systems (stereo-BRUVs) stratified by depth, marine protected area status and jurisdiction. Herbivores (primary consumers) dominated spearfishing catches, with parrotfish (scarines) and surgeonfish/unicornfish (acanthurids) the main groups harvested. However, the large, endangered humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) was the main species by weight landed by SCUBA spearfishers. SCUBA spearfishing was associated with declining size of scarines over time and catches shifting from a dominance of large parrotfishes to a mixed assemblage with increasing proportions of acanthurids. Comparisons between Guam and the nearby CNMI revealed differences in the assemblage of fished species and also greater size of scarines and acanthurids in deep water where SCUBA fishing is banned. These results suggest that SCUBA spearfishing impacts reef fish populations and that the restriction of this fishing method will ensure refuge for fish populations in deeper waters. We recommend a ban on SCUBA spearfishing to preserve or aid the recovery of large, functionally important coral reef species and to improve the sustainability of coral reef fisheries.