Métiers, effort and catches of a Mediterranean small-scale coastal fishery: The case of the Côte Bleue Marine Park

The overexploitation of fishery resources has led to a major fisheries crisis. In this context, artisanal fisheries, and in particular small-scale coastal fisheries, appear as relevant alternatives for a sustainable use of coastal resources. Marine Protected Areas (MPA) are more and more used as management tools for these fisheries, as protection effects and targeted access regulations may benefit to commercial fishers. Managers and scientists need then quantitative information not only to adapt their management to the fishing activity present on their territory, but also to estimate the effects of MPA management on it. This study provides catch and effort estimates that are essential for appraising and managing the artisanal fishery in the Côte Bleue Marine Park (CBMP), a French Mediterranean MPA including two No-Take Zones of different age and size. A field protocol was defined and implemented between July 2009 and June 2010 within the CBMP. Seven métiers were identified and characterized by target species, gear type, fishing grounds and fishing periods. During the one-year studied period, 3512 fishing trips and 4645 fishing operations were performed by 30 active boats in the Côte Bleue fishing territory, amounting to 9500 km of immersed nets. In total, approximately 130 tons of catch were landed in the six CBMP harbors, out of which 58% depend on the three main species caught on the Côte Bleue: hake (Merluccius merluccius), gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) and common sole (Solea solea). The presented methodology could be part of a long term monitoring requiring close collaboration with local fishers. It enables adaptive management with respect to changes in fishing pressure (from inside and outside the MPA) that may impact the environment and its resources.