Fish Spawning Aggregations: A Reef Resilience Toolkit Module

FSA Management

Protecting spawning aggregations should be considered an integral component of any large-scale marine conservation and management plan, aimed at resilience of the marine system, and should complement other measures developed to protect all life history stages and habitats for the target species. It has been suggested that a “precautionary approach” be taken to managing FSAs in order to ensure an adequate supply of larvae to the population1.

Conserving the long-term viability of FSAs usually requires specific and often rapid conservation and enforcement actions, particularly where FSA fisheries are active. This section informs managers of the range of actions that are available to them, and provides examples of situations in which these actions have been effective.

Establishing direct protection from fishing at the FSA site, and along migratory corridors, is usually considered the most important action. Other corollary actions (e.g., seasonal closures) can also be effective, especially when combined with site protection. All conservation or management measures must be coupled with active enforcement to be effective. FSA protection should be part of a comprehensive management plan, whereby all critical habitats and stages of the fishes’ life history are adequately protected. Impacts on non-reproductive individuals will also affect FSAs, because these individuals are eventually needed to supply and replenish spawning populations.

Achieving conservation success usually requires political will from a variety of stakeholders. Political will usually require broad consensus from stakeholders that action is necessary, and that their sacrifices will show long-term (and often short-term) results. Thus, FSA management should include input from fishers and local communities in the decision-making and management processes. With these groups on board, challenges in conservation and enforcement become easier to overcome.

Declaration of protected area at Port Honduras in Belize.
Photo © The Nature Conservancy

The first part of this section focuses on the groups of individuals that should be involved in conservation and enforcement of FSAs. These groups include:

• Policy makers and decision makers (including marine resource management agencies, legislators, legal experts, etc.)
• Fshers, particularly community fishers (including fishing cooperatives)
• Other stakeholders (for example, market owners, restaurateurs, fish processors, etc.)
• Religious organizations (where these organizations are active in decision making)
  

The second part of this section focuses on the various actions that can be taken to protect FSAs. These actions include:

• Establishing MPAs to achieve permanent or seasonal spatial closures of FSA sites and migratory corridors
• Using buffer zones to protect FSAs against outside influences
• Closed seasons for specific species during known reproductive seasons
• Market measures that limit when or how individuals are being taken and sold
• Export bans on reproductively active species during the known spawning season

Generally, a combination of actions will be required; but limits to FSA sites by fishers, when coupled with active enforcement, is usually the most effective solution. Innovative solutions appropriate for local social and economic conditions will be needed. Ultimately, the goal of FSA management is to effectively protect the reproductive population in question. The manner in which this protection is developed and instituted will be left to local stakeholders and decision-makers.

Resources

Fish Spawning Aggregation Sites on the Great Barrier Reef

Precautionary Approach to Fisheries