Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Home range size is a fundamental trait that can affect the probability of fish being harvested and, at the same time, may be affected by fishing. The relationship between home range size and fishing will impact the effectiveness of fully protected areas (FPAs), as it will influence the number of fish moving into fished areas, affecting both spillover and edge effects. One hypothesis is that individuals within FPAs will present reduced home range size relative to individuals in fished areas. This pattern can be driven by demographic selection (e.g. fishing of individuals with large home ranges leaving the FPAs), improved habitat requiring less foraging movements, or behavioural changes associated with reduced fishing threats. To test the relationship between home range size and protection, we compiled 1143 individual‐level home range sizes based on acoustic tracking, covering 17 species from 11 FPAs in 7 countries, with information on distance from FPA borders. A dichotomic analysis (in/out of FPAs) did not support a significant change in the home range size between FPAs and fished areas. However, continuous analysis across the FPA borders demonstrated reduced home range size within the FPAs. We did not find an effect of FPA age or size on this pattern. While we cannot pinpoint the underlying mechanism for the pattern revealed, we suggest behavioural changes as the main driver for reduced home range within FPAs. This mechanism will lead to more resident populations within FPAs, reducing fishing mortality within FPAs yet limiting spillover benefits to adjacent fisheries.
Source: Fish and Fisheries
DOI: 10.1111/faf.12859
Authors: Sarah Ohayon, David Abecasis, Pedro R. Almeida, Josep Alós, Eneko Aspillaga, Ana Filipa Belo, José Lino Costa, Antonio Di Franco, Manfredi Di Lorenzo, Adrian Ferguson, Paolo Guidetti, Sebastian Kraft, Gabriele La Mesa, Esben Moland Olsen, Darren Parsons, Renanel Pickholtz, Bernardo R. Quintella, Ana Filipa Silva, Brett M. Taylor, David Villegas‐Ríos, Jonathan Belmaker
Institutions: Tel Aviv University, Centro de Ciências do Mar do Algarve, University of Algarve, University of Évora, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Lisbon, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, University of Palermo, The University of Western Australia, Oceans Institute, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, University of Agder, Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, University of Auckland, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Guam Sea Grant, University of Guam, Instituto de Investigacións Mariñas
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,760
OpenAlex ID: W4402729358