Fisheries Benefits and Optimal Design of Marine Reserves

The potential for marine fishery reserves, which are permanently closed to fishing, to boost long-term fishery yields was tested with fishery population models. The influence of fishing mortality, reserve size, and life history traits on fisheries benefits from marine reserves was analyzed. Reserves are predicted to enhance catches from any overfished population that meets key assumptions based on detailed life history data. Reserves can increase catches when they compose 40% or more of fisheries management areas, markedly higher proportions than are typical of existing reserve systems. Marine reserves in systems that meet key assumptions will reduce annual catch variation in surrounding fishing grounds. The optimal design and fisheries benefits of marine reserves depend on the life history of the species of interest and on its rate of fishing mortality.