Assessing impacts of a subsistence fishery on coral reef resources

Unknown author

Subsistence fisheries can alter community dynamics, leading to significant changes in species composition and to degradation of the habitat. Intense fishing may lead to a phase shift from a coral dominated ecosystem to one dominated by algae. With the recent establishment and enforcement of territorial no-take MPAs, the number of fishermen using the nearshore waters of WAPA appears to have increased over the past 2-3 years. One large territorial MPA is directly adjacent to, and partially overlaps with, park waters, and fishermen that once used this area appear to have shifted their efforts into the non-MPA area of the park. According to territorial fishery managers, WAPA has some of the highest fishermen densities on all of Guam (DAWR unpub. data). Informal visual counts of fisherman in WAPA and adjacent areas also support this observation and reefs in WAPA may be experiencing the highest fishing pressure of any fringing reef on the island. This intense fishing pressure may already be adversely impacting this unique marine resource, and may significantly degrade and/or destroy WAPA’s reefs in a relatively short time period, leading to significant losses in biodiversity. Currently, WAPA has no baseline data on the subsistence fishery within the park, including number of fishermen, patterns of use, species caught, and biomass removed. WAPA has no management plan for this fishery, even though the park has the ability to implement one because of its administrative control over the marine resources within its boundary. WAPA, however, lacks the necessary scientific data to make appropriate management decisions.

Assessing impacts of a subsistence fishery on coral reef resources

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