Plenty More Fish in the Sea? Environmental Protections Account for Around 10 Percent of Fish on Coral Reefs

Newswise — NEW YORK, NY (October 10, 2024) – New research from the University of Sydney, WCS, and partners shows that international conservation efforts account for approximately 10 percent of fish on coral reefs.

The global study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was carried out by Professor Joshua Cinner from the School of Geosciences and Dr Iain Caldwell from the Wildlife Conservation Society. The international research team also included scientists from US, UK, Kenya, France and Germany, among others.

Looking at fish survey data across nearly 2,600 tropical reef locations, the team developed a model that showed approximately 10 percent of coral reef fish biomass (the number and size of fish in an area) can be attributed to existing protections.

Professor Cinner, Director of the Thriving Oceans Research Hub, said: “Millions of people depend on reef fish for their livelihoods and nutrition. However, overfishing is severely threatening the wellbeing of coastal communities right across the globe. Protection can help boost fish stocks and have flow-on benefits for people. Our study is a bit of a health check for global coral reef conservation. On one hand, we found that conservation efforts have made a contribution to the amount of fish on global coral reefs, which is promising. But on the other, this contribution appears quite modest and our study makes clear just how much room there is for improvement.”

Across the world, coral reefs are critical for ocean biodiversity conservation, ecological integrity, and the livelihoods of millions of people, but they are also under significant pressure from a wide range of human-made impacts including climate change, pollution and overfishing. One approach to protect and conserve marine habitats like coral reefs is to either restrict fishing (e.g. by limiting what can be fished, what fishing gear can be used, or who can fish), or to prohibit fishing altogether in fully protected Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

Professor Cinner said: “Our modelling showed that we could get up to 28 percent more fish on coral reefs globally by increasing the coverage of fully protected reefs to 30 percent - but only if these reefs are chosen strategically.”

Dr Iain Caldwell, from the Wildlife Conservation Society, said: “No-take zones are punching above their weight, especially when they are well complied with, but they aren't the only way to increase fish populations. While prohibiting fishing provides the biggest boost to fish biomass per unit area protected, other forms of fisheries management can also be effective and may be more amenable for people who depend on reef fish for their lives and livelihoods.”

More than 50 percent of coral reefs in their study had no constraints on fishing at all, so the research team analysed what would happen if fishing restrictions – such as banning nets or spearguns – were put in place on all currently unmanaged coral reefs.

Using their predictive model, the researchers found that global coral reef fish stocks would increase by a further 10.5 percent – essentially matching all conservation efforts to date.

Professor Cinner said: “Fisheries restrictions aren’t as effective as no-take MPAs on a per area basis, but they tend to be less controversial with fishers, which means compliance can be better, and they can be implemented at very large scales. Sustaining coral reef fish populations will require using every tool in the toolbox.”

WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society)

MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: 347-840-1242.

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