PERIODIC

FISHERIES

CLOSURES

Experiences from non-

octopus fisheries

439%

200%

25% 25%

Biomass Density Size Richness

ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF MARINE RESERVES increases in size, diversity, abundance and biomass

SPILL OVER AND

EXPORT

Need for alternative approaches

16 PERCENT have adequate funds for effective conservation

PAPER PARKS protected areas often fail to protect

15 PERCENT of coral reef protected areas are adequately managed

06 PERCENT of coral reefs lie within adequately managed protected areas

Many names

Periodic closures

TEMPORAL SHORT-

TERM

NON-

PERMANENT ROTATIONAL

Western Management Context

Sedentary or sessile inverts

URCHINS

SCALLOPS

ABALONE

TROCHUS

LOBSTER

CORAL

RARELY FISH

OR MULTI-

SPECIES

“fisheries gains from periodic closures will be marginal” “useful for maintaining population size but yield will decrease vs. continuous fishing”

“maintaining or even increasing yield and population size is possible”

Management challenges

Small-scale fisheries

MULTI-

SPECIES

MULTI-

GEAR

MANY

LANDING SITES

MANY

FISHERS

PERIODIC

CLOSURES Traditional origins, contemporary use

RAROTONGA RA’UI

Cook Islands, South Pacific

AITUTAKI AND RAROTONGA TROCHUS CLOSURES Cook Islands

Quota system Min (80mm) and max (110mm) size Varies

CONTROLS

Closed to trochus fishing Opening duration 1 day to 15 months

CYCLE

Approx annual harvest Men, women and children participate

HARVEST

National Ra’ui system Giant marine reserve Declining catches

OTHER

OTHER PERIODIC CLOSURES Sea cucumber, green snail, blood cockles, mud clams (and more trochus!)

Azafady, Madagascar St Luce area in the SE Second phase after pilot

LOBSTER

Roviara lagoon, Solomons Annual 8 month closures No harvest limits Mainly women and children

MUD CLAMS

Another BV project Rapidly growing, lives 3-5 years Longer closures: 5 months plus

MUD CRABS

Maluku province, Indonesia West Ngella, Solomons Varied closure periods

TROCHUS

PERIODIC

CLOSURES Opening and closure cycles, recovery and replenishment

Opening and closure cycles

A spectrum of different approaches

Open

permanently

Rotational

closure

Periodically

harvested

Closed

permanently

Periodically

closed

FIXED OR DYNAMIC Usually driven by community decision makers Cycles also sometimes influenced by supporting agencies To meet subsistence, cultural, commercial or ceremonial needs

OPENING AND CLOSURE CYCLES Highly variable

CEREMONIAL A savings bank with withdrawals during times of high demand. Feasts and festivals Often no explicit goals of long-term sustainable management

MED. TO LONG-TERM Many closures aimed at longer-term fisheries management goals Most commonly cited reason was to halt decline in fisheries resources

INDONESIA Maluku province: openings vary from a few days to two months Timing and duration based on informal stock assessments of by village council

OPENING AND CLOSURE CYCLES Examples of fisheries management/conservation goals

COOK ISLANDS Aitutaki trochus fishery Goals of sustainability and also maximising economic returns Harvest duration and timing based on western stock assessment methods

SOLOMONS Closures implemented to prevent overharvesting of Anadara granosa and Polymesoda sp. Rigid schedule with areas closed from September to April and harvested May to August

MANY FACTORS Species life history, habitat, ecosystem conditions etc Ranges from 1-3 year recovery following closure to 30-40 years Recovery often non-linear, especially with fish species

RECOVERY AND REPLENISHMENT DURING CLOSURE How quickly do fish and invert stocks replenish following cessation of fishing?

FISHER EXPECTATIONS For opening or level of exploitation may not coincide with sufficient recovery of some species But can work. Andara in Fiji 13-times higher in closed area and 5 times in adjacent areas. CPUE doubled

TYPES OF SPECIES Gen. more suited to short-lived, faster growing species E.g. Trochus – the most commonly managed with periodic closures in Pacific Not main mgmt tool? Cook Islands vs Solomons

WIDELY USED

BROAD BUY

IN

HARD TO

GENERALISE

VARIED

APPROACHES

SUMMARY Experiences from periodic fisheries closures

THANK YOU! Steve Rocliffe sr588@york.ac.uk