Publication Abstract

Impact of a large-scale area closure on patterns of fishing disturbance and the consequences for benthic communities.

T. A. Dinmore, D. E. Duplisea, B. D. Rackham, D. L. Maxwell and S. Jennings

Seasonal area closures of fisheries are used to reduce fishing mortality on specific life-history stages or spawning aggregations. In the absence of effort controls, fishing vessels displaced from the closed area will impact fish populations and the environment elsewhere. Based on the observed response of the North Sea beam trawl fleet to the closure of the ‘cod box’ and an existing size-based model of the impacts of beam trawling on benthic communities, we predict the effects of seasonal area closures on benthic communities in 30 000 n mile² of the central North Sea. We suggest that repeated seasonal area closures would lead to greater homogeneity in the distribution of annual beam trawl disturbance in this area of the North Sea, with greater cumulative impacts on the biomass and production of infaunal invertebrates. To ensure the effective integration of fisheries and environmental management, it is important to consider the wider consequences of fishery management actions. Thus, when seasonal closures lead to the redistribution of effort to environmentally sensitive or previously unfished areas, permanent area closures, that lead to a single but permanent redistribution of fishing effort, may be the preferred management option

Reference:

T. A. Dinmore, D. E. Duplisea, B. D. Rackham, D. L. Maxwell and S. Jennings.2003. Impact of a large-scale area closure on patterns of fishing disturbance and the consequences for benthic communities. ICES Journal of Marine Science 60 (2) 371-380