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Boerder K, Bryndum-Buchholz A, Worm B
Interactions of tuna fisheries with the Galápagos marine reserve
Little is known about the potential benefits of large marine protected areas for highly mobile pelagic predators such as tuna. Boerder and co-workers analyzed the iconic Galápagos Marine Reserve, documenting interactions with associated tuna purse seine fisheries. Using a combination of long-term onboard observer data and novel high-resolution, remotely sensed vessel track data (AIS), Boerder and co-workers reveal enhanced fish stock availability and fishing effort concentration close to the reserve. These dynamic interactions of tuna fisheries with the Galápagos Marine Reserve suggest that spatial protection in large protected areas can stabilize local catches despite decreasing biomass trends for these tuna stocks.