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dc.contributor.authorBeare, D
dc.contributor.authorHölker, F
dc.contributor.authorEngelhard, G H
dc.contributor.authorMcKenzie, E
dc.contributor.authorReid, D
dc.date.accessioned2011-03-25T12:43:00Z
dc.date.available2011-03-25T12:43:00Z
dc.date.issued2010
dc.identifier.citationBeare, Doug, Hölker, Franz, Engelhard, Georg, McKenzie, Eddie & Reid, David,"An unintended experiment in fisheries science: a marine area protected by war results in Mexican waves in fish numbers-at-age", Naturwissenschaften, 97(9), 797-808, 2010en_GB
dc.identifier.issn0028-1042
dc.identifier.issn1432-1904
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10793/97
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00114-010-0696-5
dc.descriptionThe original publication is available at http://www.springerlink.com/content/eh2l47043p8l171m
dc.descriptionpeer-reviewed
dc.description.abstractMarine protected areas (MPAs) are attaining increasing importance in the management of marine ecosystems. They are effective for conservation in tropical and subtropical areas (mainly coral and rocky reefs), but it is debated whether they are useful in the management of migratory fish stocks in open temperate regions. World War II created a large marine area within which commercial fishing was prevented for 6 years. Here we analyse scientific trawl data for three important North Sea gadoids, collected between 1928 and 1958. Using statistical models to summarise the data, we demonstrate the potential of MPAs for expediting the recovery of over-exploited fisheries in open temperate regions. Our age-structured data and population models suggest that wild fish stocks will respond rapidly and positively to reductions in harvesting rates and that the numbers of older fish in a population will react before, and in much greater proportion, than their younger counterparts in a kind of Mexican wave. Our analyses demonstrate both the overall increase in survival due to the lack of harvesting in the War and the form of the age-dependent wave in numbers. We conclude that large closed areas can be very useful in the conservation of migratory species from temperate areas and that older fish benefit fastest and in greater proportion. Importantly, any rise in spawning stock biomass may also not immediately result in better recruitment, which can respond more slowly and hence take longer to contribute to higher future harvestable biomass levels.en_GB
dc.language.isoenen_GB
dc.publisherSpringeren_GB
dc.relation.ispartofseriesNaturwissenschaften;97(9)
dc.subjectFisheries Scienceen_GB
dc.titleAn unintended experiment in fisheries science: a war mediated protected area in the North Sea results in Mexican waves in fish numbers-at-ageen_GB
dc.typeArticleen_GB
refterms.dateFOA2018-01-12T02:26:40Z


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