A new study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology has found a possible solution to one of the biggest conservation and livelihood challenges in the marine realm.
The study’s authors—researchers from the California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society), Swansea University, the University of Rhode Island (URI) and other groups—have found that fishing grounds with areas that are closed to fisheries but are periodically harvested are better than fishing grounds with permanent, no-take marine protected areas (MPAs).
Further, the researchers found that such “pulse” harvest MPAs also perform better than traditional measures that aim to keep fisheries at maximum sustainable yield.
This research could help revolutionize fisheries management and settle a long-running debate between fisheries management and conservation sectors about the role of MPAs in balancing potential for stock recovery and maintaining yields.
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