When the Trawl Ban Is a Good Option: Opportunities to Restore Fish Biomass and Size Structure in a Mediterranean Fisheries Restricted Area

This paper reports the results of a 15-year trawl ban imposed in 1990 Gulf Castellammare (GCAST: NW Sicily, central Mediterranean Sea) and its effects on biomass size structure demersal finfish shellfish proportion different commercial categories fish. Data were collected by experimental surveys conducted GCAST two trawled areas before after 1990. The total assemblage number selected species was significantly higher ban. Highly had largest increase same gulf ban, particularly at depths used artisanal fishermen. from size-based indicators not as clear-cut those though. Although length frequency distributions obtained other gulfs, several cases, values gulfs. Our suggest that, temporal spatial scale adopted, bans may drive full recovery but only partial fish populations subject to exclusion, least Mediterranean. provides an example effective ecosystem-based fisheries management tool that offers potential for stock rebuilding economic sustainability artisanal, small-scale fisheries.