The effectiveness of marine protected areas and the impacts of aquarium fish collecting in Hawaii
Tissot BN, Walsh WJ, Hallacher LE. 2003. The effectiveness of marine protected areas and the impacts of aquarium fish collecting in Hawaii. final report year 2002. Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Honolulu, HI
A network of nine Fish Replenishment Areas (FRA) reserves was demarcated in West Hawai’i in 2000 in response to declines of reef fishes taken by aquarium collectors. In 1999, we established 23 study sites in FRAs, areas open to collectors and reference areas (existing protected areas) to collect data both prior to and after the closure of the reserve network in 2000. To date we have conducted 23 bimonthly surveys as well as surveys of the benthic habitats of all sites. Baseline surveys, done prior to reserve closure, document significant effects of aquarium collector harvesting on selected fishes. On average, aquarium fishes were 26% less abundant in newly-established reserves (formerly open) than adjacent reference areas. Analysis of postclosure surveys in 2000-2002 using a Before-After-Control-Impact procedure provided evidence of a significant increase of aquarium fishes in reserves, primarily in the yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens), the most collected aquarium fish in Hawaii. The recovery of aquarium fishes in the FRAs was probably due to the high number of newly recruited fishes observed in 2001-2002. Large recruitment events are rare in West Hawai’i but are likely to be an important factor determining the effectiveness of marine reserves to help replenish depleted fish populations.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Tissot, Brian; Walsh, William; Hallacher, Leon
- Date of Issue
- 2003-02
- Publisher
- Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Units
- ALKA , KAHO , PACN , PUHO
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Aquaculture, aquarium fish, fish replenisment areas (FRA), Fisheries Management, Hawaii, Kona, Marine Protected Areas (MPA), yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)