ORCID

Abstract

Spatial management is a widely used technique to protect sessile species or habitats. Protection of essential fish habitat is increasinglybeing recognized globally within fisheries management policies, requiring further practical assessments within temperate fisheries. Weprovide a case study for the efficacy of spatially protecting nursery sites for a highly mobile species—the European bass (Dicentrarchuslabrax). Using acoustic telemetry, 146 individual fish were tracked for up to 812 days across three independent protected bass nurseryareas in the Southwest UK. Within site boundaries commercial fisheries are seasonally restricted to protect vulnerable life stages.Tagged fish were re-detected >5 million times. Detections at receivers highlighted activity hot spots at or near the seaward entranceto each site. Generalized linear modelling estimated high variation in the seasonal presence/absence of fish. Due to variation in theseasonal timing and spatial boundaries of protected sites, the amount of time fish were protected ranged 1.9%–27.4%. Further work isrequired to link these findings to population processes e.g. mortality, growth or recruitment. We, however, highlight the vital need toconsider movement patterns to ensure boundaries of spatially protected areas are relevant to species they are designed to protect.

Publication Date

2025-04-01

Publication Title

ICES Journal of Marine Science

Volume

82

Issue

4

ISSN

1054-3139

Acceptance Date

2025-03-05

Deposit Date

2025-04-02

Funding

The authors wish to acknowledge the Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, Dart Harbour and Navigation Authority, Salcombe Harbour Authority, Sea Jay Live Marine Supplies, North Devon Fishermen\u2019s Association, the Bass Angling Sportsfishing Society and individuals from the commercial and recreational fishing communities for the vital financial and logistical support they provided. Without assistance from these organizations survey work would not have been possible.

Keywords

acoustic telemetry, ecosystem based fisheries management, essential fish habitat

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