Page 31 - Fishery_Regimes_2005

EMPAFISH Booklet nº 2 Fishery regimes in Atlanto-Mediterranean European MPAs

Description of the fisheries in and around the MPA:

The Columbretes Island marine reserve was created for the
enhancement of fisheries resources.
The no-take area of the reserve includes: a) integral reserve (IR) with
two zones, around the Columbretes Grande and the Bergantin islands
covering an area of 957.9 Ha, and b) three areas of restricted use (RU)
where, in addition to scientific research, restricted scuba diving is
allowed. In the rest of the reserve, some professional and recreational
fishing is allowed: listed boats can fish with purse-seine, troll-line,
squid-jig or hand-line. In practice, almost no commercial fisheries take
place in the reserve as it is far from the coast and the fisheries allowed
are not of sufficient interest. The recreational fisheries have been
greatly reduced after the recent prohibition of anchoring in shallow
habitats (IR, RU).
Mainly two commercial fisheries operate on the grounds surrounding
the reserve: a) Year-round bottom trawling targeting a mix of species
like hake, squids, octopus, mullets and anglerfish and b) seasonal
(March-August) trammel netting targeting the spiny lobster (Palinurus
elephas). Both fisheries operate intensively along the boundary of the
reserve.
The protection of this reserve is regulated by the General Secretariat
for Maritime Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Area Gear Seasonality Target Species Bycatch Species No. of
Vessels
IR, RU none - - - -
Purse seine Sardina pilchardus - negligible
Angling Mainly Serranus spp., Spondyliosoma
summer Scorpaena scrofa cantharus,
Phycis phycis
Inside Rest of Troll line Mainly Serranus spp., Spondyliosoma
reserve summer Scorpaena scrofa cantharus, negligible
Phycis phycis
Squid jig Squid negligible
Hand line Mainly negligible
summer
Trawling All seasons Mix species: Many
Merluccius
merluccius, 5-10
Octopus spp.,
Outside Mullus spp.,
(main fisheries Lophius spp.
only)
Trammel Mar-Aug Palinurus elephas Scorpaena scrofa,
net Lophius spp., 2-4
Raja spp.,
Phycis phycis

Bibliographic references:

Reñones O., Quetglas A. & Goñi R., 2001. Effects of fishing restrictions on the abundance, size
structure and mortality rate of a western Mediterranean population of Scorpaena scrofa
(Linnaeus, 1758). Rapp. Comm. Int. Mer Médit. 36: 316.
Goñi R., Quetglas A. & Reñones O., 2003. Biologia, ecología, pesquerías y efecto reserva de la
langosta roja, Palinurus elephas, Fabricius 1787, de Columbretes y Baleares
(Mediterráneo Occidental). IEO-COB Report/LANGOSTA/03-1, 107pp.
Goñi R., Quetglas A. & Reñones O., 2003. Differential catchability of male and female European
spiny lobster Palinurus elephas (Fabricius, 1787) in traps and trammel-nets. Fisheries

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