TY - JOUR
T1 - Ecosystem models for management advice
T2 - An analysis of recreational and commercial fisheries policies in Baja California Sur, Mexico
AU - Cisneros-Montemayor, Andrés M.
AU - Christensen, Villy
AU - Arreguín-Sánchez, Francisco
AU - Sumaila, U. Rashid
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Dr. Daniel Pauly, Dr. Steven J.D. Martell, Dr. Carl J. Walters, Dr. Rob Ahrens, Chiara Piroddi and two anonymous reviewers for their advice and comments. We also gratefully acknowledge funding from the Mexican National Science and Technology Council and the Pew Charitable Trusts of Philadelphia, USA .
PY - 2012/3/10
Y1 - 2012/3/10
N2 - Recreational fishing is a vital component of the tourism economy in Baja California Sur (BCS), Mexico, although several artisanal and industrial fisheries continue to operate in the region. The commercial long-liner fleet in particular is widely held to be responsible both for diminishing shark populations and declines in billfish through bycatch. Using available fisheries and ecosystem data, we develop an Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) model to represent current ecosystem and fishing dynamics in BCS and explore the ecological and economic effects of specific fisheries policy measures. Results suggest that currently mandated bycatch limits for the longlining fleet will have little effect on marlin abundance in the area. In an overfished ecosystem, decreasing fishing effort can result in higher overall catches through population rebuilding. While perhaps ecologically justified, increases in the abundance of sharks, a top predator, can have negative effects on other valued species in the ecosystem. The effects of these trophic dynamics must not be overlooked, as they can negate or even reverse desired outcomes from fisheries management.
AB - Recreational fishing is a vital component of the tourism economy in Baja California Sur (BCS), Mexico, although several artisanal and industrial fisheries continue to operate in the region. The commercial long-liner fleet in particular is widely held to be responsible both for diminishing shark populations and declines in billfish through bycatch. Using available fisheries and ecosystem data, we develop an Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) model to represent current ecosystem and fishing dynamics in BCS and explore the ecological and economic effects of specific fisheries policy measures. Results suggest that currently mandated bycatch limits for the longlining fleet will have little effect on marlin abundance in the area. In an overfished ecosystem, decreasing fishing effort can result in higher overall catches through population rebuilding. While perhaps ecologically justified, increases in the abundance of sharks, a top predator, can have negative effects on other valued species in the ecosystem. The effects of these trophic dynamics must not be overlooked, as they can negate or even reverse desired outcomes from fisheries management.
KW - Baja California Sur
KW - Ecosystem model
KW - Longlining
KW - Recreational fishing
KW - Scenario analysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84855902120&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2011.12.021
DO - 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2011.12.021
M3 - Artículo
SN - 0304-3800
VL - 228
SP - 8
EP - 16
JO - Ecological Modelling
JF - Ecological Modelling
ER -