Marine reserve performance when layered on existing institutions

Background/Question/Methods

Using a bioeconomic model we consider the effect of fishery management institutions already in place on the efficacy of a reserve to increase fish populations. The three institutions investigated are:  open access (patches are fished until net rents are zero), limited entry (a cap on effort), and regulated open access (e.g. gear restrictions). The response of different coupled human-ecological systems to the creation  of marine reserve were modeled. Scenarios evaluated under each management regime include different patterns of connectivity and varying dispersal rates of fish between sites.  Rates of fisher movement between sites are also varied to investigate the effect of human use linkages and fishing reallocation behavior on reserve treatment effects.

Results/Conclusions

The fishery management institution existing before, and eventually outside the reserve matters to the success of the reserve in increasing stocks. When the fishery outside is open access, the reserve always increases total stock in the system and there are many “double-payoff” outcomes in the various connectivity and dispersal rate scenarios. With a limited access fishery, gains due to the reserve are smaller, and in some scenarios total stock in the system goes down.