The Role of Marine Reserves as Fisheries Management Tools

I N T E R N A T I O N A L E X P E R I E N C E Around the world many fisheries have collapsed, including some in Australia. Consequently marine fisheries are under increasing pressure to adopt more precautionary management approaches. Although Australia’s fisheries are generally in good shape—few are overfished—many are fully exploited. Overseas experience tells us that even the best fisheries management systems have not always been able to protect against overfishing. This review examines the extent to which ‘no-take’ marine reserves can benefit fisheries and provide support for fisheries management. It aims to inform people with an interest in Australian fisheries about modern ecological experience with reserves, and the benefits that can be derived from them. Marine fisheries sanctuaries, where exploitation is not permitted, appear to offer many benefits, including improved stability of catches, reduced cost to fisheries management, protection from overfishing and conservation of a range of non-fished species that live within the sanctuaries. Although there is a body of ecological theory and some empirical evidence that support the beneficial role of sanctuaries for fisheries management purposes, global experience with such reserves is limited, and there are few cases where sanctuaries have been clearly demonstrated as providing a benefit to fisheries. However, many fisheries appear to have benefited from de facto sanctuaries, where some of the stock is out of the reach of the fishery, such as in water too deep for fishing. Fisheries that are over-exploited or heavily exploited stand to gain most from sanctuary implementation: sanctuaries can contribute to achieving ecologically sustainable fisheries by reducing the risk of overfishing and by providing refuges for non-fished species that might otherwise be severely affected. Fishery sanctuaries can also make an important contribution to regional biodiversity conservation goals and provide reference sites where global changes in marine ecosystems can be studied and evaluated. Despite some costs and risks, marine sanctuaries appear to offer our fisheries an important and cost-effective option for the implementation of precautionary fisheries management, while simultaneously improving the protection of Australia’s marine ecosystems.