Researchers make unexpected discovery after studying world’s largest no-fishing zone: ‘Just outside the boundaries’
Large-scale marine protected areas are successfully protecting migratory fish species and increasing catch rates.
As Phys.org reported, researchers discovered that by protecting expansive ocean areas, we help fish species thrive.
Research scientists analyzed public data to assess the impacts of protected ocean areas and published their findings in the journal Science. They examined nine large-scale marine protected areas in the Indian and Pacific oceans.
The results revealed that the catch-per-unit effort of tuna purse seine fisheries has increased by 12% to 18% near protected areas. However, the increase declines farther from the boundaries.
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Even for migratory species such as tuna, protected areas offer spillover benefits that translate to economic gains for fisheries.
A couple of decades ago, there was only one large-scale marine protected area in the world, Ecuador’s Galápagos Marine Reserve. Now, there are over 20. Many of these waters are in places with tuna fisheries, an industry valued at over $40 billion.
